I Backtested SCHD Against 24 ETFs — The Results Will Make You Rethink Everything

SCHD vs 24 other ETFs: this ETF backtest compares dividend ETFs, monthly income funds and growth strategies for retirement investing. One fund finished more than $753,000 ahead of SCHD from the same $500,000 starting investment—but SCHD held up much better in 2022. I tested 25 ETFs in total to compare ending wealth, market declines and the trade-offs behind the results. Nineteen funds share a ten-year window; six newer funds have shorter comparisons against SCHD over matching dates. IN THIS VIDEO: • Can familiar dividend ETFs build more wealth than SCHD? • How do monthly income funds compare when distributions are reinvested? • What separates dividend payments from total return? • How much additional growth came with deeper market declines? • What can the 2022 comparison tell a retirement investor? Subscribe to FinOptix for ETF comparisons that explain the numbers and the experience of holding through market declines. CHAPTERS 00:00 The $753K Question: SCHD vs 24 ETFs 00:25 How the ETF Backtest Works 02:08 Traditional Dividend ETFs vs SCHD 04:45 Monthly Income ETFs vs SCHD 10:02 Dividend Growth ETFs vs SCHD 13:30 Broad Market ETFs: VTI and VOO 14:39 Growth and Sector ETFs 15:33 Semiconductor ETFs 17:10 COWZ: A Different Approach 18:10 The Final ETF Results 19:05 The 2022 Risk Check 21:38 What This Means for Retirement SOURCES & METHODOLOGY Historical results come from the Testfolio backtest exports used for this video. Official issuer pages and documents support fund descriptions, expenses and the dated distribution-rate observations. Backtesting platform: https://testfol.io/ Platform methodology: https://testfol.io/guides/portfolio-backtester/ TEST SETTINGS • $500,000 in each separate, 100% single-ETF portfolio. • All distributions reinvested; no additional deposits or withdrawals. • Main comparison: September 30, 2016–September 30, 2026, covering 19 ETFs including SCHD. • Six newer funds use their own shorter windows, with SCHD tested over the same start and end dates. • All tests end September 30, 2026. Actual ETF histories; no simulated pre-launch extensions. • Nominal U.S. dollars; no inflation adjustment. Additional annual drag set to zero. • Fund operating expenses are reflected in fund returns. Personal taxes and brokerage execution costs are excluded. SHORTER MATCHED WINDOWS DIVO / COWZ: December 30, 2016–September 30, 2026 JEPI: May 29, 2020–September 30, 2026 JEPQ: May 31, 2022–September 30, 2026 SPYI: August 31, 2022–September 30, 2026 QQQI: January 31, 2024–September 30, 2026 The $753K headline is a conservatively rounded historical ending-balance difference of $753,652.05. It includes reinvested distributions and is not cash income received or a forecast. Newer funds are not placed in the ten-year ranking. 2026 returns are year-to-date through September 30. The separate 2022 dollar illustration assumes $500,000 at the start of that year; it is not the balance path of the 2016-start portfolios. Calendar-year losses, maximum drawdowns and volatility measure different things. QQQI/SPYI distribution rates are dated September 30, 2026 and annualize the latest payout. Payments can change, may include return of capital and are not investment returns. These backtests do not model spending distributions in retirement. OFFICIAL FUND SOURCES Schwab SCHD: https://www.schwabassetmanagement.com/products/schd First Trust fund pages: https://www.ftportfolios.com/retail/etf/etfsummary.aspx?ticker=tdiv https://www.ftportfolios.com/retail/etf/etfsummary.aspx?ticker=rdvy Vanguard ETF directory: https://advisors.vanguard.com/investments/etfs?asset_class=Equity NEOS fund pages: https://neosfunds.com/qqqi/ | https://neosfunds.com/spyi/ Amplify DIVO: https://amplifyetfs.com/divo/ Pacer COWZ: https://www.paceretfs.com/common-sense-value-investing-cowz VanEck SMH: https://www.vaneck.com/us/en/investments/semiconductor-etf-smh/overview/ iShares SOXX: https://www.ishares.com/us/products/239705/ishares-phlx-semiconductor-etf DIS