JHDV vs SCHD

JHDVCJohn Hancock U.S. High Dividend ETF

SCHDASchwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF

In short

JHDV Active, not indexed: Manulife's systematic team picks roughly 80 U.S. large- and mid-cap dividend payers, for 0.34% net of a waiver through July 31, 2027.

SCHD The dividend fund that checks the balance sheet before it checks the yield. SCHD only considers companies with 10 straight years of payouts, then ranks the survivors on cash flow, return on equity and dividend growth. Quality gate first, income second, at six basis points.

Stated mandate

JHDV The fund seeks a high level of current income, with long-term capital growth as a secondary objective.

SCHD The fund seeks to track, before fees and expenses, the total return of the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100TM Index.

Why people hold it

• JHDV Not an index fund. The managers build the book themselves and can reach for preferreds, convertibles and REITs that rules-based dividend screens leave out.sec.gov
• At least 80% of assets sit in dividend-paying U.S. large- and mid-caps, with current income first in the mandate and long-term capital growth the stated second priority.sec.gov
• 0.34% net of a waiver through July 31, 2027 lands near the category median, which is rare company for an actively run fund. Income is paid quarterly.
• Subadvised by Manulife Investment Management (US), John Hancock's affiliated asset manager, since the fund's 2022 launch.johnhancock.com

• SCHD Charges 0.06% a year, near the floor for US equity ETFs and a fraction of what the typical dividend-screen fund costs.schwabassetmanagement.com
• The rulebook is strict: 10 consecutive years of dividends to qualify, then a composite rank on cash-flow-to-total-debt, return on equity, yield and five-year dividend growth.spglobal.com
• Index rules cap any single stock at 4.5% and any sector at 25%, so one hot name cannot quietly become the whole income stream.spglobal.com
• Running since 2011 and now among the largest, most heavily traded dividend ETFs, with tracking that stays very close to its index.

Worth knowing

• JHDV That 0.34% is a waived price. The gross fee is 2.07% and the waiver is dated July 31, 2027, so the long-run cost depends on it being extended.
• A small, thinly traded fund, so spreads can run wider than the category heavyweights and large orders move it more.
• Index rivals screen for dividends at a fraction of the cost: SCHD at 0.06%, VIG at 0.04%. The premium here buys manager discretion, not a cheaper wrapper.

• SCHD Roughly 100 names, every one a long-time dividend payer. The fast-growing non-payers that drive much of the US market are not eligible, by design.spglobal.com
• The yield and quality screens tilt it toward mature, cash-generating sectors, so it looks nothing like a total-market fund. Distributions land quarterly, not monthly.spglobal.com
• Not the absolute cheapest shelf item: VIG runs 0.04% and DIVB 0.05%, though both screen for dividends differently.

Full JHDV profile⁠

Full SCHD profile⁠