Dividend comparison

SCHD vs RDVY: Which Is Better for Income?

Fees, yield, total returns, drawdowns, holdings overlap and dividend history for Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF and First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF, side by side. Updated October 21, 2026.

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SCHD vs RDVY: key differences
The short answer, from the latest data on this page.
  • Fees. SCHD is cheaper at 0.06% a year versus 0.47% for RDVY. On $10,000 that is $41 a year less in fees.
  • Income. SCHD pays more income, yielding 3.04% over the last twelve months versus 0.85% for RDVY. That is about $218 more a year on $10,000. Both pay quarterly.
  • Performance. Over the last 5 years, RDVY returned 69.8% versus 57.9% for SCHD, with dividends reinvested. $10,000 would have grown to $16,979 in RDVY and $15,790 in SCHD.
  • Risk. RDVY has been the bumpier ride. Its worst peak-to-trough decline over the last 5 years was -25.3%, against -16.8% for SCHD.
  • Diversification. SCHD holds 102 positions and RDVY holds 72. The ten largest positions make up 41.7% of SCHD and 22.2% of RDVY.
  • Overlap. 7% of the two portfolios overlap by weight, across 8 shared holdings. They mostly own different companies, so they can complement each other.
  • Dividend growth. RDVY grew its yearly payout 9.4% a year over the last 4 years, versus 8.7% for SCHD.
  • Size. SCHD is the larger fund with $114.7 billion in assets, against $25.4 billion for RDVY.

Bottom line: SCHD fits better if you care most about lower fees, more income today and smaller drawdowns. RDVY fits better if you care most about stronger 5-year returns.

Side-by-side snapshot
Trailing twelve-month figures where available. Higher yield is highlighted — not a buy recommendation.
MetricSCHD
Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF
RDVY
First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF
Dividend yield (TTM)3.04%0.85%
Dividend / share (TTM)$1.05$0.68
Payout frequencyQuarterlyQuarterly
Last dividend$0.2665 on Sep 28, 2026$0.1521 on Sep 30, 2026
Ex-dividend dateSep 23, 2026Sep 24, 2026
Dividend growth (CAGR)8.7% over 4 yrs9.4% over 4 yrs
Price$34.69$79.63
Dividend growth streak13 years—
Beta0.580.94
Max drawdown (5Y)-16.8%-25.3%
Market cap$98.31B$25.45B
ExchangeAMEXNASDAQ
Expense ratio0.06%0.47%
Assets under management$114.71B$25.45B
Number of holdings10272
Top 10 concentration41.7%22.2%
Income on a $10,000 investment
Illustrative only — assumes current TTM yield stays constant. Actual distributions change.

SCHD

$25.32/mo

$304 /yr at 3.04% yield

RDVY

$7.12/mo

$85 /yr at 0.85% yield

Dividend history
Total dividends paid per share in each calendar year. SCHD pays quarterly; RDVY pays quarterly.
YearSCHDRDVY
2025$1.0476$0.7733
2024$0.9944$0.9722
2023$0.8862$1.0797
2022$0.8540$0.9700
2021$0.7499$0.5390
Strategy: Dividend equity
Rules-based equity funds that screen for companies paying sustainable or rising dividends, aiming at income plus long-term share-price participation. The screen is what defines the fund: yield-ranked indexes deliver more cash now, dividend-growth indexes deliberately exclude the highest payers in favor of durability. Both approaches produce a sector mix that looks nothing like the broad market, typically heavier in financials, healthcare, staples and industrials.

Expect stretches of underperformance versus the broad market whenever leadership comes from the high-growth, low-yield companies these screens exclude.

What SCHD vs RDVY actually do

SCHD
An index ETF holding about 100 US dividend payers screened for balance-sheet strength and a long payment record.

It tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index, which first requires at least ten consecutive years of dividends, then ranks the survivors on a composite of cash flow to total debt, return on equity, dividend yield and five-year dividend growth. The top 100 are held at market-cap weights with a 4% cap per stock and 25% per sector, reconstituted annually and rebalanced quarterly. Those quality screens push the portfolio toward mature value sectors and largely out of high-growth technology, which is the single biggest reason its return diverges from the S&P 500 in either direction.

Suits an investor who wants a growing dividend stream plus share-price participation and can sit out technology-led rallies without changing course. Not a match for someone who needs the highest available current yield or wants full market exposure.

Core dividend holding

Performance
Total returns with dividends reinvested, from the adjusted closing price series. $10,000 invested on Oct 20, 2021 would now be worth $15,790 in SCHD and $16,979 in RDVY.
PeriodSCHDRDVY
1 month3.83%0.40%
3 months6.77%-0.46%
Year to date29.59%14.63%
1 year33.01%18.85%
3 years66.22%86.40%
5 years57.90%69.79%
  • SCHD
  • RDVY
73129185202120222023202420252026158170

Both series indexed to 100 on 2021-10-20 using the adjusted closing price series. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Sector allocation
Weight of each sector within the fund. Sectors are aligned on the same row so the two funds can be read against each other directly.
  • SCHD
  • RDVY
0%10%19%29%38%Financial Services9.2%38.0%Technology16.0%27.1%Healthcare19.3%3.9%Consumer Defensive20.1%2.4%Industrials7.3%12.4%Energy15.3%1.8%Consumer Cyclical6.7%9.7%Communication Services6.0%4.2%Utilities0.1%1.4%Basic Materials0.5%Other0.0%0.2%
SCHD vs RDVY holdings overlap
7% overlap by weight, with 8 holdings in common. Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for every stock both funds own, so 100% would mean identical portfolios.
Largest shared holdingsSCHD weightRDVY weight
ADPAUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING INC2.81%2.26%
ACNACCENTURE PLC CLASS A3.57%2.21%
CINFCINCINNATI FINANCIAL0.64%1.97%
RFREGIONS FINANCIAL0.57%1.87%
QCOMQUALCOMM4.15%0.53%
SNASNAP ON INC0.46%1.88%
EWBCEAST WEST BANCORP0.42%0.51%
ABTABBOTT LABORATORIES3.83%0.35%
Top 10 holdings
Largest positions by portfolio weight.

SCHD102 holdings total

NameWeight
TXNTEXAS INSTRUMENT4.40%
PGPROCTER & GAMBLE4.34%
CVXCHEVRON4.31%
KOCOCA-COLA4.30%
COPCONOCOPHILLIPS4.30%
QCOMQUALCOMM4.15%
UNHUNITEDHEALTH GROUP4.14%
HDHOME DEPOT3.95%
AMGNAMGEN INC3.90%
PEPPEPSICO3.86%

RDVY72 holdings total

NameWeight
TRVThe Travelers Companies, Inc.2.35%
VVisa Inc. (Class A)2.26%
ADPAutomatic Data Processing, Inc.2.26%
MSFTMicrosoft Corporation2.23%
EXPEExpedia Group, Inc.2.23%
ACNAccenture plc2.21%
LRCXLam Research Corporation2.18%
ROSTRoss Stores, Inc.2.17%
METAMeta Platforms, Inc. (Class A)2.16%
AMATApplied Materials, Inc.2.14%

Quick verdict

SCHD fits better if you care most about lower fees, more income today and smaller drawdowns. RDVY fits better if you care most about stronger 5-year returns. Model the holding inside your real portfolio before deciding.

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Frequently asked questions

Is SCHD or RDVY better for dividend income?
It depends on your goals. SCHD currently yields 3.04% Trailing Twelve Months (TTM) while RDVY yields 0.85%. Higher yield means more current income per dollar invested, but may come with different risk, growth, or NAV characteristics. Compare total return and payout sustainability — not just the headline yield.
What is the difference between SCHD and RDVY?
Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) is an ETF listed on AMEX. First Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (RDVY) is an ETF listed on NASDAQ. Side-by-side metrics on this page cover yield, fees, returns, drawdowns, holdings overlap and dividend history when available.
Which is cheaper, SCHD or RDVY?
SCHD has the lower expense ratio. SCHD charges 0.06% a year and RDVY charges 0.47%, a difference of $41 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which has performed better, SCHD or RDVY?
Over the last 5 years, RDVY has the higher total return with dividends reinvested: SCHD returned 57.9% and RDVY returned 69.8%. Past performance does not predict future returns.
Which is riskier, SCHD or RDVY?
Measured by the worst peak-to-trough decline over the last five years, RDVY has been riskier: SCHD fell as much as 16.8% and RDVY as much as 25.3%. Their betas are 0.58 and 0.94.
How much do SCHD and RDVY overlap?
About 7% of the two portfolios overlap by weight, across 8 shared holdings. The largest shared positions are ADP, ACN, CINF. Holding both still adds meaningful diversification.
How often do SCHD and RDVY pay dividends?
Both pay quarterly. The most recent payments were $0.2665 for SCHD and $0.1521 for RDVY.
How much income does $10,000 in SCHD vs RDVY generate?
At current TTM yields, $10,000 in SCHD would generate roughly $25.32 per month ($304 annually). The same amount in RDVY would produce about $7.12 per month ($85 annually). Actual payouts vary with distribution changes and reinvestment.
Can I hold both SCHD and RDVY?
Yes. Many income investors hold both to diversify strategy or index exposure. Whether the combination actually diversifies depends on overlapping holdings and factor exposure. Model both inside Dividend Wealth to see combined income, sector mix, and forecast impact.
Where can I compare SCHD vs RDVY with my full portfolio?
Create a free Dividend Wealth account to import or enter holdings, forecast dividend income, and see how SCHD and RDVY fit alongside the rest of your portfolio. A 14-day free trial of Standard is available with no credit card required; a limited Free plan is also available.

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For informational and educational purposes only. Not investment advice. Past performance and current yields do not guarantee future results. Verify figures independently before making investment decisions.