Investing · ETF deep dive
XINC iShares Core Income Balanced ETF Portfolio
The 20/80 income rung — the highest sibling yield (2.96%) from a portfolio that is, functionally, a diversified bond fund with a stock garnish.
Best for: Very conservative investors wanting maximum yield from an indexed one-ticket fund
Pros
- Highest iShares-sibling yield: 2.96%, quarterly
- 80% bonds across four sleeves with short-corporate tempering
- Cheapest rung label too — 0.19% published MER
Cons
- Almost all bond risk — rate moves drive returns
- GIC ladders beat it for known-date money; VRIF beats it for monthly income design
What's inside XINC
| Underlying fund | Weight |
|---|---|
| iShares Core Canadian Universe Bond Index ETFXBB | 50.9% |
| iShares Core Canadian Short Term Corporate Bond Index ETFXSH | 12.9% |
| iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (US-listed)ITOT | 9.0% |
| iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (US-listed)GOVT | 7.9% |
| iShares Broad USD Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (US-listed)USIG | 7.9% |
| iShares Core S&P/TSX Capped Composite Index ETFXIC | 5.2% |
| iShares Core MSCI EAFE IMI Index ETFXEF | 5.2% |
| iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index ETFXEC | 1.0% |
Canada 65.5% · US 25.2% (total-portfolio look-through — dominated by the bond block) (Provider look-through including bonds) · holdings as of June 9, 2026
The deep dive
XINC is iShares’ closest thing to an income product, but read it precisely: it’s an 80/20 indexed portfolio, not an income-engineered fund. The yield (2.96%) falls out of the bond math rather than a payout policy — for an actual monthly-income design you’d compare VRIF, and for guaranteed income, GICs or annuities.
Where XINC fits well: the invested portion of a very conservative retiree’s ladder, behind cash, where its quarterly distributions help fund the refill cycle described in our cash strategy.
Same family, different dose
The iShares (BlackRock Canada) ladder lets you change risk level without changing philosophy:
- XEQT — 100/0 · 0.20% MER · quarterly distributions
- XGRO — 80/20 · 0.20% MER · quarterly distributions
- XBAL — 60/40 · 0.19% MER · quarterly distributions
- XCNS — 40/60 · 0.19% MER · quarterly distributions
Frequently asked questions
What does XINC hold?
XINC holds 20/80 — led by iShares Core Canadian Universe Bond Index ETF (XBB) at 50.9%, iShares Core Canadian Short Term Corporate Bond Index ETF (XSH) at 12.9%, iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (US-listed) (ITOT) at 9.0% (as of June 9, 2026). Looking through to the securities level, that's 21,970 underlying holdings in one ticker. Geographic mix: Canada 65.5% · US 25.2% (total-portfolio look-through — dominated by the bond block) (provider look-through including bonds). Weights drift between rebalances — rebalanced “as needed” to maintain target weights.
What does XINC cost?
Currently 0.17% management fee; 0.19% published MER (product pages as of June 9, 2026). For context, the asset-allocation category now runs roughly 0.17%–0.25% all-in at the index families after the 2025 fee war — see the full cost table, and what fee gaps compound into with the MER calculator.
Should I pick XINC or one of its siblings?
The iShares (BlackRock Canada) ladder runs XEQT · XGRO · XBAL · XCNS · XINC — same construction, different equity/bond dose. XINC sits at 20/80. The risk level is the decision that matters; pick the rung whose worst year you could actually sit through (the asset-allocation calculator helps), then stay put. Comparing across providers instead? Start with the family-by-family guide.
The bottom line
A clean tool for a narrow job. Most income-seekers will be better matched by VRIF’s design or a GIC ladder’s certainty — but as indexed 20/80s go, this is the benchmark.
This page is for educational purposes only and is not investment advice. Fund facts were verified at iShares (BlackRock Canada)'s published fact sheets and product pages on June 10, 2026; holdings and weights are point-in-time and drift between rebalances; published MERs may lag recent fee changes (product pages as of June 9, 2026). We deliberately do not compare or project returns. Read the fund facts document before buying. See our methodology.