ETF Versus

BND vs SCHD

Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund vs Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

BND Vanguard

Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund (BND) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to the broad U.S. investment-grade bond market. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.93%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $150.4B ER: 0.03% Yield: 3.93% Since: Apr 3, 2007
SCHD Schwab

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to U.S. dividend-paying stocks selected for yield or dividend growth. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.46%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $83.9B ER: 0.06% Yield: 3.46% Since: Oct 20, 2011

Quick Verdict

BND has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.06%), saving about $60 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, SCHD has significantly outperformed with a 9.5% return vs -0.0%.

Key Metrics

Metric BND SCHD
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.06%
Dividend Yield 3.9% 3.5%
Fund Family Vanguard Schwab
Category US Aggregate Bond US Dividend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 90 100 110 120 130 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
BND -13.3%
SCHD +23.3%

Performance Comparison

Period BND SCHD Difference
1 Month -1.63% -4.24% +2.61%
3 Months -0.84% +10.03% -10.87%
6 Months -1.20% +11.31% -12.51%
YTD -0.84% +10.03% -10.87%
1 Year -0.03% +9.47% -9.50%
3 Years -0.73% +24.43% -25.16%
5 Years -13.29% +23.27% -36.56%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period BND Fees SCHD Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $60 $120 $60
$10.000 20 years $258 $515 $257
$10.000 30 years $835 $1.664 $828
$50.000 10 years $299 $598 $299
$50.000 30 years $4.176 $8.318 $4.142
$100.000 30 years $8.352 $16.637 $8.285

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric BND SCHD
Annualized Volatility 6.0% 14.6%
Max Drawdown -21.7% -18.9%
Sharpe Ratio -1.19 0.05

Dividend Comparison

Metric BND SCHD
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.88 $1.06
Dividend Yield 3.92% 3.46%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Quarterly

Top Holdings

SCHD Top Holdings

NameWeight
Chevron CorporationCVX4.66%
ConocoPhillipsCOP4.33%
Merck & Co., Inc.MRK4.08%
Verizon Communications Inc.VZ4.03%
The Coca-Cola CompanyKO3.98%
Texas Instruments IncorporatedTXN3.86%
PepsiCo, Inc.PEP3.83%
Amgen Inc.AMGN3.78%
Abbott LaboratoriesABT3.78%
The Procter & Gamble CompanyPG3.70%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose BND if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose SCHD if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose BND if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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