FDL vs SCHD: Differences, Returns & Fees
FDL and SCHD hold 33% of their weight in the same names, and SCHD returned +26.6% over the year. Net assets: $7.7bn on Oct 9, 2026 for First Trust Morningstar ETF, and $94.9bn on May 31, 2026 for Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF.
SCHD costs 0.37 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 6.0 points.
| FDL | SCHD | |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.43% | 0.06% |
| Net assets, FDL as of Oct 9, 2026 and SCHD as of May 31, 2026 | $7.7bn | $94.9bn |
| Total return, 1 year | +20.6% | +26.6% |
| What it tracks | Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index | Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index |
| Holdings in common | 33% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 50.4% | 43.6% |
| Below its high | 5.9%, high on Aug 24, 2026 | 5.4%, high on Aug 24, 2026 |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Oct 9, 2026.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, FDL and SCHD hold 33% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Oct 9, 2026.
half
33% in common
On the same fields
FDL and SCHD on the fields both publish, as of Oct 9, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
About FDL
FDL tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 9, 2026 it returned +20.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.43% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 9, 2026, 93% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 100 positions, with the top ten at 50.4%. It sat 5.9% below its high of Aug 24, 2026 on Oct 9, 2026.
About SCHD
SCHD tracks an index of US dividend. Over the year to Oct 9, 2026 it returned +26.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 95% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 99 positions, with the top ten at 43.6%. It sat 5.4% below its high of Aug 24, 2026 on Oct 9, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, FDL or SCHD?
- In the year to Oct 9, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FDL returned +20.6% and SCHD +26.6%.
- Which is cheaper, FDL or SCHD?
- SCHD is cheaper, by 0.37 percentage points a year. That is about $37 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure; a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, FDL against SCHD, data as of Oct 9, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/fdl-vs-schd
ETFIQ. (Oct 9, 2026). FDL against SCHD. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/fdl-vs-schd
[FDL against SCHD (ETFIQ, Oct 9, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/fdl-vs-schd)
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