VFSUX vs. SCHD

Last updated Aug 2, 2026

VFSUX (Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Admiral Shares) and SCHD (Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF) are both funds - VFSUX is a Total Bond Market fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Credit Bond Index, while SCHD is a Dividend fund tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, VFSUX returned 2.52%/yr vs 12.76%/yr for SCHD. Their -0.02 correlation means they have often moved in opposite directions in the past. VFSUX charges 0.09%/yr vs 0.06%/yr for SCHD.

Performance

VFSUX vs. SCHD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Admiral Shares (VFSUX) and Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VFSUX achieves a 0.54% return, which is significantly lower than SCHD's 24.03% return. Over the past 10 years, VFSUX has underperformed SCHD with an annualized return of 2.52%, while SCHD has yielded a comparatively higher 12.76% annualized return.

VFSUX

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: -0.48%
• 6M: 0.16%
• YTD: 0.54%
• 1Y: 2.80%
• 3Y*: 5.37%
• 5Y*: 2.28%
• 10Y*: 2.52%
• ALL TIME*: 3.09%

SCHD

• 1D: 0.18%
• 1M: 3.33%
• 6M: 14.09%
• YTD: 24.03%
• 1Y: 31.54%
• 3Y*: 14.19%
• 5Y*: 9.54%
• 10Y*: 12.76%
• ALL TIME*: 13.39%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
SCHD Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF	$786.88M	$715.86M	$685.58M
VFSUX Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Admiral Shares	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

VFSUX vs. SCHD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VFSUX Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Admiral Shares	0.54%	6.87%	5.08%	6.17%	-5.75%	-0.62%	5.26%	5.85%	0.98%	2.13%
SCHD Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF	24.03%	4.34%	11.66%	4.54%	-3.26%	29.87%	15.03%	27.29%	-5.56%	20.85%

Correlation

The correlation between VFSUX and SCHD is 0.18, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.18
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.17
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.15
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.04
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 20, 2011	-0.02

The correlation between VFSUX and SCHD shifts across timeframes, from -0.02 (all time) to 0.18 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

VFSUX vs. SCHD — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

VFSUX

VFSUX Risk / Return Rank: 74
VFSUX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 72
VFSUX Sortino Ratio Rank: 81
VFSUX Omega Ratio Rank: 79
VFSUX Calmar Ratio Rank: 69
VFSUX Martin Ratio Rank: 68

SCHD

SCHD Risk / Return Rank: 95
SCHD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 96
SCHD Sortino Ratio Rank: 96
SCHD Omega Ratio Rank: 94
SCHD Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
SCHD Martin Ratio Rank: 93

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

VFSUX vs. SCHD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Admiral Shares (VFSUX) and Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	VFSUX	SCHD	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.63	2.81	-1.18
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.76	4.37	-1.61
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.35	1.51	-0.15
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.18	6.74	-4.56
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	8.17	17.01	-8.84

VFSUX vs. SCHD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VFSUX Sharpe Ratio is 1.63, which is lower than the SCHD Sharpe Ratio of 2.81. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VFSUX and SCHD, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

VFSUX vs. SCHD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VFSUX drawdown since its inception was -9.24%, smaller than the maximum SCHD drawdown of -33.37%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VFSUX and SCHD.

Drawdown Indicators

	VFSUX	SCHD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-9.24%	-33.37%	+24.13%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.71%	-4.61%	+2.90%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-1.71%	-16.13%	+14.42%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-9.24%	-16.85%	+7.61%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-9.24%	-33.37%	+24.13%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.58%	-1.24%	+0.66%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.87%	-3.30%	+2.43%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.45%	1.82%	-1.37%

Volatility

VFSUX vs. SCHD - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Admiral Shares (VFSUX) is 0.48%, while Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) has a volatility of 4.11%. This indicates that VFSUX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SCHD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VFSUX	SCHD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.48%	4.11%	-3.63%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.76%	8.11%	-6.35%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.28%	11.13%	-8.85%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	3.00%	14.39%	-11.39%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	2.49%	16.72%	-14.23%

VFSUX vs. SCHD - Expense Ratio Comparison

VFSUX has a 0.09% expense ratio, which is higher than SCHD's 0.06% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

VFSUX vs. SCHD - Dividend Comparison

VFSUX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.36%, more than SCHD's 3.13% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SCHD Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF	3.13%	3.82%	3.64%	3.49%	3.39%	2.78%	3.16%	2.98%	3.06%	2.63%	2.89%	2.97%
VFSUX Vanguard Short-Term Investment-Grade Fund Admiral Shares	4.36%	4.59%	4.16%	3.14%	2.03%	1.79%	2.34%	2.92%	2.79%	2.11%	2.14%	2.09%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both VFSUX and SCHD in my portfolio?

VFSUX and SCHD have a correlation of 0.18, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, VFSUX or SCHD?

SCHD has higher volatility (4.11%) compared to VFSUX (0.48%). In terms of maximum drawdown, VFSUX dropped -9.24% vs SCHD's -33.37%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SCHD currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.81 vs 1.63), 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.