SCUS vs. BIL
SCUS (Schwab Ultra-Short Income ETF) and BIL (SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - SCUS is a Ultrashort Bond fund actively managed by Charles Schwab, while BIL is a Government Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg 1-3 Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index. SCUS is actively managed, while BIL is passively managed. Over the past year, SCUS returned 4.17% vs 3.87% for BIL. At a 0.12 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. Both charge a 0.14% expense ratio.
Performance
SCUS vs. BIL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with SCUS having a 1.43% return and BIL slightly higher at 1.49%.
SCUS
- 1D
- -0.02%
- 1M
- 0.37%
- YTD
- 1.43%
- 6M
- 1.78%
- 1Y
- 4.17%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 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%
SCUS vs. BIL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
SCUS Schwab Ultra-Short Income ETF | 1.43% | 4.51% | 2.06% |
BIL SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 1.49% | 4.15% | 1.87% |
Correlation
The correlation between SCUS and BIL is 0.02, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.02 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 14, 2024 | 0.12 |
The correlation between SCUS and BIL shifts across timeframes, from 0.02 (1 year) to 0.12 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
SCUS vs. BIL — Risk / Return Rank
SCUS
BIL
SCUS vs. BIL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Schwab Ultra-Short Income ETF (SCUS) 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.
| SCUS | BIL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -13.43 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -161.59 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 2.76 | 87.91 | -85.15 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 25.13 | 355.35 | -330.23 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 111.55 | 2,817.77 | -2,706.23 |
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
| SCUS | BIL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 6.28 | 19.71 | -13.43 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | — | 13.16 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 8.52 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 6.42 | 2.78 | +3.64 |
Drawdowns
SCUS vs. BIL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SCUS drawdown since its inception was -0.17%, smaller than the maximum BIL drawdown of -0.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SCUS and BIL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SCUS | BIL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -0.17% | -0.78% | +0.61% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -0.17% | -0.01% | -0.16% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | — | -0.01% | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -0.10% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -0.21% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.02% | 0.00% | -0.02% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.02% | -0.26% | +0.24% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.04% | 0.00% | +0.04% |
Volatility
SCUS vs. BIL - Volatility Comparison
Schwab Ultra-Short Income ETF (SCUS) has a higher volatility of 0.20% compared to SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) at 0.05%. This indicates that SCUS'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
| SCUS | BIL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.20% | 0.05% | +0.15% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 0.47% | 0.13% | +0.34% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.67% | 0.20% | +0.47% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 0.70% | 0.26% | +0.44% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 0.70% | 0.26% | +0.44% |
SCUS vs. BIL - Expense Ratio Comparison
Both SCUS and BIL have an expense ratio of 0.14%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
SCUS vs. BIL - Dividend Comparison
SCUS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.91%, 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% |
SCUS Schwab Ultra-Short Income ETF | 3.91% | 4.17% | 1.62% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
SCUS and BIL have a correlation of 0.02, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
SCUS has higher volatility (0.20%) compared to BIL (0.05%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SCUS dropped -0.17% vs BIL's -0.78%.
On 1-year performance, SCUS leads with 4.17% vs 3.87% for BIL. Both ETFs have the same 0.14% expense ratio. 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 1-year period, SCUS has performed better with a 4.17% return vs 3.87%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SCUS and BIL have the same expense ratio: 0.14% per year.
SCUS has the higher dividend yield at 3.91%, compared with 3.86% for BIL.
SCUS is categorized as Ultrashort Bond, while BIL is Government Bonds. They also come from different issuers: Charles Schwab and State Street.
BIL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (19.71 vs 6.28), 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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