The Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BNDX) and the Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA) are both among the Top 100 ETFs. BNDX is a Vanguard N/A fund and SCHA is a Schwab ETFs Small Blend fund. So, what’s the difference between BNDX and SCHA? And which fund is better?
The expense ratio of BNDX is 0.04 percentage points higher than SCHA’s (0.08% vs. 0.04%). BNDX is mostly comprised of A bonds while SCHA has a high exposure to the healthcare sector. Overall, BNDX has provided lower returns than SCHA over the past ten years.
In this article, we’ll compare BNDX vs. SCHA. We’ll look at fund composition and portfolio growth, as well as at their performance and risk metrics. Moreover, I’ll also discuss BNDX’s and SCHA’s annual returns, holdings, and industry exposure and examine how these affect their overall returns.
FYI: Another great way to get exposure to the real estate sector is by investing in real estate debt. Groundfloor offers fantastic short-term, high-yield bonds that can add diversification to your portfolio!
Summary
| BNDX | SCHA | |
| Name | Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund ETF Shares | Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF |
| Category | N/A | Small Blend |
| Issuer | Vanguard | Schwab ETFs |
| AUM | 116.41B | 16.51B |
| Avg. Return | 4.63% | 12.62% |
| Div. Yield | 0.94% | 0.98% |
| Expense Ratio | 0.08% | 0.04% |
The Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BNDX) is a N/A fund that is issued by Vanguard. It currently has 116.41B total assets under management and has yielded an average annual return of 4.63% over the past 10 years. The fund has a dividend yield of 0.94% with an expense ratio of 0.08%.
The Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA) is a Small Blend fund that is issued by Schwab ETFs. It currently has 16.51B total assets under management and has yielded an average annual return of 12.62% over the past 10 years. The fund has a dividend yield of 0.98% with an expense ratio of 0.04%.
BNDX’s dividend yield is 0.04% lower than that of SCHA (0.94% vs. 0.98%). Also, BNDX yielded on average 7.99% less per year over the past decade (4.63% vs. 12.62%). The expense ratio of BNDX is 0.04 percentage points higher than SCHA’s (0.08% vs. 0.04%).
FYI: The best way I've found to invest is through M1 Finance. It's free and you even get an instant line of credit and 100$! Have a look here (link to M1 Finance).
Fund Composition
Holdings
| BNDX Bond Sectors | Weight |
| A | 29.19% |
| AA | 26.79% |
| AAA | 21.59% |
| BBB | 19.41% |
| Others | 1.57% |
| Below B | 1.45% |
| B | 0.0% |
| BB | 0.0% |
| US Government | 0.0% |
BNDX’s Top Bond Sectors are ratings of A, AA, AAA, BBB, and Others at 29.19%, 26.79%, 21.59%, 19.41%, and 1.57%. The fund is less weighted towards Below B (1.45%), B (0.0%), and BB (0.0%) rated bonds.
| SCHA Holdings | Weight |
| AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc Class A | 0.67% |
| Caesars Entertainment Inc | 0.51% |
| Cloudflare Inc | 0.48% |
| NovoCure Ltd | 0.45% |
| Plug Power Inc | 0.41% |
| 10x Genomics Inc Ordinary Shares – Class A | 0.34% |
| GameStop Corp Class A | 0.28% |
| RH | 0.27% |
| Penn National Gaming Inc | 0.27% |
| Axon Enterprise Inc | 0.27% |
SCHA’s Top Holdings are AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc Class A, Caesars Entertainment Inc, Cloudflare Inc, NovoCure Ltd, and Plug Power Inc at 0.67%, 0.51%, 0.48%, 0.45%, and 0.41%.
10x Genomics Inc Ordinary Shares – Class A (0.34%), GameStop Corp Class A (0.28%), and RH (0.27%) have a slightly smaller but still significant weight. Penn National Gaming Inc and Axon Enterprise Inc are also represented in the SCHA’s holdings at 0.27% and 0.27%.
Risk Analysis
| BNDX | SCHA | |
| Mean Return | 0 | 1.14 |
| R-squared | 0 | 82.26 |
| Std. Deviation | 0 | 18.68 |
| Alpha | 0 | -4.65 |
| Beta | 0 | 1.25 |
| Sharpe Ratio | 0 | 0.7 |
| Treynor Ratio | 0 | 9.62 |
The Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BNDX) has a Standard Deviation of 0 with a Sharpe Ratio of 0 and a Alpha of 0. Its Mean Return is 0 while BNDX’s R-squared is 0. Furthermore, the fund has a Beta of 0 and a Treynor Ratio of 0.
The Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA) has a Beta of 1.25 with a Mean Return of 1.14 and a R-squared of 82.26. Its Treynor Ratio is 9.62 while SCHA’s Standard Deviation is 18.68. Furthermore, the fund has a Alpha of -4.65 and a Sharpe Ratio of 0.7.
BNDX’s Mean Return is 1.14 points lower than that of SCHA and its R-squared is 82.26 points lower. With a Standard Deviation of 0, BNDX is slightly less volatile than SCHA. The Alpha and Beta of BNDX are 4.65 points higher and 1.25 points lower than SCHA’s Alpha and Beta.
NOTE: The easiest way to add diversification to your portfolio is to invest in real estate through Fundrise. You can become private real estate investor without the burden of property management! Check it out here (link to Fundrise).
Performance
Annual Returns
| Year | BNDX | SCHA |
| 2020 | 4.6% | 19.35% |
| 2019 | 7.88% | 26.54% |
| 2018 | 2.94% | -11.75% |
| 2017 | 2.4% | 15.04% |
| 2016 | 4.67% | 19.88% |
| 2015 | 1.08% | -4.24% |
| 2014 | 8.83% | 6.53% |
| 2013 | 0.0% | 39.59% |
| 2012 | 0.0% | 18.24% |
| 2011 | 0.0% | -2.95% |
| 2010 | 0.0% | 28.31% |
BNDX had its best year in 2014 with an annual return of 8.83%. BNDX’s worst year over the past decade yielded 0.0% and occurred in 2013. In most years the Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund ETF Shares provided moderate returns such as in 2015, 2017, and 2018 where annual returns amounted to 1.08%, 2.4%, and 2.94% respectively.
The year 2013 was the strongest year for SCHA, returning 39.59% on an annual basis. The poorest year for SCHA in the last ten years was 2018, with a yield of -11.75%. Most years the Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF has given investors modest returns, such as in 2017, 2012, and 2020, when gains were 15.04%, 18.24%, and 19.35% respectively.
Portfolio Growth
| Fund | Initial Balance | Final Balance | CAGR |
| BNDX | $10,000 | $13,695 | 4.63% |
| SCHA | $10,000 | $18,750 | 12.62% |
A $10,000 investment in BNDX would have resulted in a final balance of $13,695. This is a profit of $3,695 over 7 years and amounts to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.63%.
With a $10,000 investment in SCHA, the end total would have been $18,750. This equates to a $8,750 profit over 7 years and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.62%.
BNDX’s CAGR is 7.99 percentage points lower than that of SCHA and as a result, would have yielded $5,055 less on a $10,000 investment. Thus, BNDX performed worse than SCHA by 7.99% annually.
Current recommendations:
Over the past years, I have discovered several tools and products that have helped me tremendously on my path to financial freedom:
P.S.: The links below are affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you when you sign up for one of the services. Thank you for your support!
1)Personal Capital is simply the best tool out there to track your net worth and plan for financial freedom. Just their retirement planner alone has become an invaluable tool to keep myself on track financially. Try it out, it's free!
2) Take a look at M1 Finance, my favorite broker. I love how easy it is to invest and maintain my portfolio with them. I can set up automatic transfers, rebalance my portfolio with one click and even borrow up to 35% of my assets at super low interest rates!
3) Fundrise is by far the best way I've found to invest in Real Estate. You can diversify your portfolio by investing in their eREITs or even allocate capital to individual properties (without the hassle of managing tenants!).
4) Groundfloor is another great way to get exposure to the real estate sector by investing in short-term, high-yield real estate debt. Current returns are >10% and you can get started with just $10.
5) If you are interested in startup investing, check out Mainvest. I've started allocating a small amount of assets to invest in and support small businesses. Return targets are between 10-25% and you can start with just $100!
To see all of my most up-to-date recommendations, check out the Recommended Tools section.
I believe that money is just a means to an end: to be free to spend your time as you wish, to maximize your positive impact on the world.
