SCHQ vs. BIL
SCHQ (Schwab Long-Term U.S. Treasury ETF) and BIL (SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF) are both Government Bonds funds - SCHQ tracks the Bloomberg U.S. Long Treasury Index while BIL tracks the Bloomberg 1-3 Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, SCHQ returned -5.29%/yr vs 3.41%/yr for BIL. At a correlation of -0.00, they often move in opposite directions. SCHQ charges 0.03%/yr vs 0.14%/yr for BIL.
Performance
SCHQ vs. BIL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SCHQ achieves a -0.43% return, which is significantly lower than BIL's 1.49% return.
SCHQ
- 1D
- -0.45%
- 1M
- 0.65%
- YTD
- -0.43%
- 6M
- -1.74%
- 1Y
- 5.22%
- 3Y*
- -0.72%
- 5Y*
- -5.29%
- 10Y*
- —
BIL
- 1D
- 0.02%
- 1M
- 0.28%
- YTD
- 1.49%
- 6M
- 1.77%
- 1Y
- 3.87%
- 3Y*
- 4.64%
- 5Y*
- 3.41%
- 10Y*
- 2.18%
SCHQ vs. BIL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCHQ Schwab Long-Term U.S. Treasury ETF | -0.43% | 5.50% | -6.44% | 3.43% | -29.44% | -4.86% | 17.73% | -4.02% |
BIL SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 1.49% | 4.15% | 5.19% | 4.94% | 1.40% | -0.10% | 0.40% | 0.32% |
Correlation
The correlation between SCHQ and BIL is -0.22, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. This is especially valuable for risk management - when one declines, the other has historically tended to hold steady or rise.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.22 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.07 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.01 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 11, 2019 | -0.00 |
Over the past year, the inverse relationship between SCHQ and BIL has strengthened: their correlation has moved from -0.00 to -0.22, meaning they now move in opposite directions more often than their long-term average.
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Return for Risk
SCHQ vs. BIL — Risk / Return Rank
SCHQ
BIL
SCHQ vs. BIL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Schwab Long-Term U.S. Treasury ETF (SCHQ) and SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
| SCHQ | BIL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -19.12 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -173.25 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.10 | 87.91 | -86.80 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.75 | 355.35 | -354.61 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.94 | 2,817.77 | -2,815.84 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| SCHQ | BIL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.59 | 19.71 | -19.12 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.37 | 13.16 | -13.53 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 8.52 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | -0.25 | 2.78 | -3.03 |
Drawdowns
SCHQ vs. BIL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SCHQ drawdown since its inception was -46.13%, which is greater than BIL's maximum drawdown of -0.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SCHQ and BIL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SCHQ | BIL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -46.13% | -0.78% | -45.35% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -7.01% | -0.01% | -7.00% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -17.65% | -0.01% | -17.64% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -40.93% | -0.10% | -40.83% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -0.21% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -36.82% | 0.00% | -36.82% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -26.36% | -0.26% | -26.10% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.70% | 0.00% | +2.70% |
Volatility
SCHQ vs. BIL - Volatility Comparison
Schwab Long-Term U.S. Treasury ETF (SCHQ) has a higher volatility of 2.57% compared to SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) at 0.05%. This indicates that SCHQ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BIL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SCHQ | BIL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.57% | 0.05% | +2.52% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 5.94% | 0.13% | +5.81% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 8.93% | 0.20% | +8.73% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 14.54% | 0.26% | +14.28% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 15.33% | 0.26% | +15.07% |
SCHQ vs. BIL - Expense Ratio Comparison
SCHQ has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than BIL's 0.14% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
SCHQ vs. BIL - Dividend Comparison
SCHQ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.79%, more than BIL's 3.86% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BIL SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 3.86% | 4.13% | 5.03% | 4.92% | 1.35% | 0.00% | 0.30% | 2.05% | 1.66% | 0.68% | 0.07% |
SCHQ Schwab Long-Term U.S. Treasury ETF | 4.79% | 4.54% | 4.58% | 3.79% | 2.88% | 1.69% | 1.51% | 0.44% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
SCHQ and BIL have a correlation of -0.22, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
SCHQ has higher volatility (2.57%) compared to BIL (0.05%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SCHQ dropped -46.13% vs BIL's -0.78%.
On 5-year performance, BIL leads with 3.41% vs -5.29% for SCHQ. On fees, SCHQ is cheaper at 0.03% per year. On volatility, BIL has been the lower-risk option at 0.05%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, BIL has performed better with a 3.41% return vs -5.29%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SCHQ is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.14% for BIL.
SCHQ has the higher dividend yield at 4.79%, compared with 3.86% for BIL.
SCHQ tracks Bloomberg U.S. Long Treasury Index, while BIL tracks Bloomberg 1-3 Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index. They also come from different issuers: Charles Schwab and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.03% for SCHQ and 0.14% for BIL.
BIL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (19.71 vs 0.59), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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