Wht are similar etfs that i could consider

Screening Filters

1. Theme: Government Bonds ('themes': ['Government Bonds'])

   • Purpose: Limit results to ETFs whose primary exposure is to government-issued debt (e.g., U.S. Treasuries or similar high-quality sovereign bonds).
   • Rationale:
     • VBIL, BIL, and SGOV all sit in the high-quality, government-backed space (BIL and SGOV are pure U.S. Treasury-bill ETFs; VBIL, as used in your prior context, is an intermediate-term, high‑quality bond ETF with very heavy government exposure).
     • To find “similar” ETFs, we want to avoid corporate credit, high yield, bank loans, etc., and focus on the same broad risk/return profile: safety, interest‑rate driven risk, and strong credit quality.
     • The “Government Bonds” theme does exactly that by filtering to funds whose mandate is to hold government securities rather than riskier corporate or structured debt.

2. Bond Allocation ≥ 90% ('bond_position_pct': ['MoreThan90Pct'])

   • Purpose: Ensure that each ETF is overwhelmingly invested in bonds (not equities, derivatives, or large cash/other holdings).
   • Rationale:
     • BIL and SGOV are essentially 100% in T‑bills; VBIL (analogous intermediate bond ETFs) are also almost entirely fixed‑income.
     • Some “government bond” or multi‑asset funds might mix in meaningful equity, preferreds, or cash overlays, which changes their behavior versus pure bond ETFs.
     • By requiring >90% bond allocation, we keep the list to true bond funds whose performance and risk profile will more closely resemble the three ETFs you’re familiar with.

3. Low Expense Ratio (≤ 0.10%) ('expense_ratio': {'max': '0.10'})

   • Purpose: Restrict results to very low‑cost ETFs.
   • Rationale:
     • VBIL, BIL, and SGOV are all low‑fee, large index-style products. Cost is a key part of why investors use these funds for core bond or cash‑like exposure.
     • Putting a 0.10% cap essentially keeps the universe to top-tier, cost-competitive issuers (Vanguard, iShares, State Street, etc.) and excludes niche, actively managed, or expensive funds that may be “government bond” ETFs but not cost‑comparable.
     • For a “similar ETF” search, matching the fee profile matters, because expense drag meaningfully affects net yields, especially for short-duration products like BIL/SGOV.

4. Established Track Record (Inception Date ≤ 2018-01-01) ('inception_date': {'max': '2018-01-01'})

   • Purpose: Include only ETFs that have been around for a while and have navigated multiple market environments.
   • Rationale:
     • BIL and SGOV-types with longer histories (especially through rate‑hike and rate‑cut cycles) give you better real-world data on behavior under stress and changing interest rates.
     • Limiting inception to 2018 or earlier filters out very new funds with limited trading history, lower AUM, and potentially weaker liquidity/track record.
     • When you’re looking for “alternatives” to core instruments like BIL/SGOV, it makes sense to favor more established products with predictable tracking and decent volume.

5. Monthly Dividends ('dividend_frequency': ['Monthly'])

   • Purpose: Find ETFs that distribute income on a monthly schedule, similar to common bond ETFs used for cash management or income.
   • Rationale:
     • BIL and SGOV both pay monthly, and intermediate-term bond ETFs like VBIL typically also distribute monthly.
     • Monthly payouts are strongly associated with bond/cash-management ETFs and are useful if you’re treating these as a cash alternative or regular income source.
     • Requiring monthly dividends filters out funds that pay quarterly or semiannually, which are less directly comparable from an income-flow standpoint.

Why Results Match Your Request

• The government bond theme + ≥90% bonds combination ensures you see ETFs with a similar credit quality and “safe haven” character to BIL/SGOV and the government-heavy profile of VBIL-type funds.
• The expense ratio cap keeps the results in the same low-cost, index-like universe as Vanguard/State Street/iShares products you’re already considering.
• The inception date requirement focuses on seasoned, liquid ETFs with observable history through multiple interest-rate regimes—key for bond/income products.
• The monthly dividend filter aligns cash-flow behavior with BIL, SGOV, and typical intermediate bond ETFs, making these alternatives more practically interchangeable for your use case (income and/or cash management).

Together, these filters narrow the universe to bond ETFs that are not just similar in asset class, but also in cost, quality, maturity of product, and income pattern—precisely the attributes that matter when looking for “similar ETFs” to VBIL, BIL, and SGOV.