ETF Versus

BND vs SCHZ

Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund vs Schwab U.S. Aggregate Bond 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
SCHZ Schwab

Schwab U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (SCHZ) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab 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 a high dividend yield of 4.09%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $9.9B ER: 0.03% Yield: 4.09% Since: Jul 14, 2011

Quick Verdict

Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (-0.0% vs -0.1%), tracking closely.

Key Metrics

Metric BND SCHZ
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 3.9% 4.1%
Fund Family Vanguard Schwab
Category US Aggregate Bond US Aggregate Bond

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 85 90 95 100 105 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
BND -13.3%
SCHZ -14.1%

Performance Comparison

Period BND SCHZ Difference
1 Month -1.63% -1.66% +0.03%
3 Months -0.84% -0.90% +0.06%
6 Months -1.20% -1.24% +0.04%
YTD -0.84% -0.90% +0.06%
1 Year -0.03% -0.09% +0.06%
3 Years -0.73% -1.43% +0.70%
5 Years -13.29% -14.13% +0.84%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period BND Fees SCHZ Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $60 $60 $0
$10.000 20 years $258 $258 $0
$10.000 30 years $835 $835 $0
$50.000 10 years $299 $299 $0
$50.000 30 years $4.176 $4.176 $0
$100.000 30 years $8.352 $8.352 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric BND SCHZ
Annualized Volatility 6.0% 6.1%
Max Drawdown -21.7% -21.9%
Sharpe Ratio -1.19 -1.21

Dividend Comparison

Metric BND SCHZ
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.88 $0.95
Dividend Yield 3.92% 4.08%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Monthly

Which One Should You Choose?

Either works if...

you just need broad us aggregate bond exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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