ETF Versus

SCHD vs SCHZ

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF vs Schwab U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

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
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

SCHZ 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 -0.1%. Income investors may prefer SCHZ for its higher yield (4.1% vs 3.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric SCHD SCHZ
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 3.5% 4.1%
Fund Family Schwab Schwab
Category US Dividend US Aggregate Bond

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
SCHD +23.3%
SCHZ -14.1%

Performance Comparison

Period SCHD SCHZ Difference
1 Month -4.24% -1.66% -2.58%
3 Months +10.03% -0.90% +10.93%
6 Months +11.31% -1.24% +12.55%
YTD +10.03% -0.90% +10.93%
1 Year +9.47% -0.09% +9.56%
3 Years +24.43% -1.43% +25.86%
5 Years +23.27% -14.13% +37.40%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

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

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SCHD SCHZ
Annualized Volatility 14.6% 6.1%
Max Drawdown -18.9% -21.9%
Sharpe Ratio 0.05 -1.21

Dividend Comparison

Metric SCHD SCHZ
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.06 $0.95
Dividend Yield 3.46% 4.08%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Monthly

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 SCHZ 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 SCHZ if...

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

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