A head-to-head comparison of YieldMax MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF and Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF covering yield, cost, risk, and income potential.
Projections assume the current yield and share price remain constant. Actual results will vary.
Total returns
100% reinvested · ex-date convention. Period returns use this fixed assumption, independent of chart settings. YTD and 1Y are cumulative period returns; 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y are annualized. The shared Since-start window is annualized only when it covers at least one year.
MSTY has lagged SCHD over the trailing twelve months, posting a -46.90% total return against 23.02%. Measured from Feb 2024 — the start of shared available history — MSTY has compounded at 24.54% a year versus 13.56% for SCHD. SCHD has been the steadier holding, though — annualized volatility of 11.2% against 69.4% for MSTY. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested.
Total return and risk statistics by fund. Each row is one fund; each column is one period or statistic.
Total return with all distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date), split-adjusted, as of October 2, 2026. YTD and 1Y are cumulative period returns; 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y are annualized. The shared Since-start window is annualized only when it covers at least one year. “Since Feb 2024” measures every fund from February 22, 2024 — the start of shared available history — so all funds share one comparison window. Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of daily total returns over the past year. Sharpe and Sortino divide the annualized return in excess of the risk-free rate by, respectively, that volatility and the downside deviation (both over the past year) — higher is better. Max drawdown is the largest peak-to-trough total-return decline over the same window — shallower is better.
Distribution rate, SEC yield and return of capital
Metric
MSTY
SCHD
Forward distribution rate
98.88%
3.26%
Trailing 12-month yield
139.76%
3.22%
30-day SEC yield
0.96%
—
Return of capital
98.87%
—
Total return (price change plus reinvested distributions) is the Total returns section above. Return of capital is the share of a recent distribution that was not income. A 30-day SEC yield can sit far from the headline distribution rate; both numbers are the fund's own published fields.
Total return against the stated underlying is on MSTY vs MSTR.
Side-by-side snapshot
Side-by-side snapshot. Each row is one metric;
each column is one fund.
Actively managed fund that seeks current income while maintaining indirect exposure to the share price of MicroStrategy Incorporated (MSTR), subject to a limit on potential investment gains.
Seeks to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index, which measures the performance of high dividend yielding stocks issued by U.S. companies with a record of consistently paying dividends, selected for fundamental strength relative to their peers based on financial ratios.
Bottom lineChoose MSTY if you want to maximize current income — roughly 98.88%, generated by selling options premium. Choose SCHD if you want a quality-dividend tilt rather than the whole market. There's no free lunch: MSTY's payout comes from selling options, which caps upside and can erode the share price over time, while SCHD keeps full price exposure.
How the risk works
Read this before the income numbers below: the strategy mechanics on this page shape what those payouts can cost you.
Capped upside and premium dependence. MSTY generates income by selling options, which trades away part of a strong rally in exchange for premium. Distributions can include return of capital, and a payout the underlying assets cannot sustain shows up as NAV erosion over time — the big yield number is not free.
ETFs and AUM reflect what Dividend Vision tracks — the issuer's full lineup may be larger.
YieldMax is known for specializing in options-based and income-focused ETFs that emphasize yield generation through covered call strategies and other income-producing methodologies. The firm operates a diverse lineup of 63 funds organized across multiple families including covered call strategies, 0DTE (zero days to expiration) options, double distribution approaches, and various target-date and performance-based portfolios designed to generate regular distributions. Notable offerings span popular underlying assets like major technology stocks and broad market indices, with a particular emphasis on providing enhanced income solutions for investors seeking regular cash flows through options strategies and other tactical approaches.
See our curated list of related YouTube videos on MSTY.
ETFs and AUM reflect what Dividend Vision tracks — the issuer's full lineup may be larger.
Schwab is a major provider of low-cost, broad-based ETFs known for making investing accessible to individual investors through its discount brokerage platform. The issuer's fund lineup spans multiple categories including core index funds, dividend and income-focused strategies, factor-based approaches, international exposure, fixed income, and digital assets, with popular core holdings like SCHB (U.S. broad market) and SCHD (dividend appreciation) alongside more specialized thematic offerings. Schwab's ETF suite is characterized by its breadth across asset classes and investment styles, competitive expense ratios, and integration with its retail brokerage ecosystem.
See our curated list of related YouTube videos on SCHD.
MSTY (YieldMax MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF) and SCHD (Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF) are both dividend ETFs, but they take different approaches.
MSTY offers the higher yield at 98.88% vs 3.26% for SCHD. A higher yield means more current income per dollar invested, though it may come with different risk characteristics.
SCHD is cheaper with an expense ratio of 0.06% compared to 1.03%.
They have different reference exposures: MSTY is linked to Strategy (MSTR) while SCHD is linked to Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index, which means their performance drivers differ.
SCHD is the larger fund by assets ($110B), but assets alone do not establish trading costs or liquidity.
Who should choose each?
Choose MSTY
YieldMax MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF
Want to maximize current income — MSTY distributes roughly 98.88% from selling options premium, vs 3.26% for SCHD.
Are comfortable with an options-income strategy — a large payout in exchange for capped upside.
Choose SCHD
Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF
Want a quality-dividend tilt — screened payers rather than the broad index.
Want to keep costs low — a 0.06% expense ratio vs 1.03% for MSTY.
Prefer lower volatility — a beta of 0.6 vs 2.6 for MSTY.
Not sure? Use the income calculator and snapshot above to weigh these trade-offs against your own goals.
Still deciding? Track MSTY & SCHD for free
Create a free Dividend Vision account to keep them on a watchlist, get notified when they declare dividends, and see how much income they would add to your portfolio.
On a $10,000 investment, MSTY would generate roughly $190.15 cash per distribution, while SCHD would produce $81.50 cash per distribution, at current distribution rates.
MSTY yield98.88%
SCHD yield3.26%
Cash diff on $10K$108.65
Cost & efficiency
Over 10 years on $10,000, MSTY would cost approximately $1,030 in fees vs $60 for SCHD (simplified, not compounded). The $970.00 difference may be offset by yield or performance.
MSTY ER1.03%
SCHD ER0.06%
Strategy & risk
MSTY is actively managed around Strategy (MSTR) exposure with a covered call approach, while SCHD tracks Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index. Beta is 2.5604 for MSTY and 0.56 for SCHD, making SCHD the less volatile of the two by this measure.
MSTY beta2.5604
SCHD beta0.56
Fund details
MSTY is managed by YieldMax (launched 02/21/2024) with $1.13B in assets. SCHD is managed by Schwab (launched 10/20/2011) with $110B in assets.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the current distribution rate for MSTY and SCHD?
MSTY currently distributes 98.88% and SCHD 3.26%, based on fund data updated October 2026. Distribution rate moves with both the payout and the share price, so check the as-of date before relying on either figure.
Is MSTY or SCHD better for dividend income?
It depends on your goals. MSTY currently offers the higher distribution yield, which means more income per dollar invested. However, a lower-yield fund may offer better total return or lower volatility. Consider your time horizon and risk tolerance.
What is the difference between MSTY and SCHD?
MSTY (YieldMax MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF) is actively managed around Strategy (MSTR) exposure with a covered call approach, while SCHD (Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF) tracks Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index. They are issued by YieldMax and Schwab respectively.
Can I hold both MSTY and SCHD?
Yes — nothing prevents holding both. Whether the combination actually diversifies depends on how much the underlying exposures overlap, which isn't fully measurable from the data on this page; review each security's holdings, sector, and strategy before treating them as complementary.
Is MSTY or SCHD safer?
By Dividend Vision's Distribution Safety Score — a rules-based 0–100 estimate of how resilient a distribution looks, where higher is safer — SCHD scores 100, MSTY scores 58, so SCHD's payout currently looks the more resilient of the two. SCHD has also shown lower price volatility (beta 0.56 vs 2.56 for MSTY). No score makes an investment risk-free — treat this as a screening signal, not a guarantee, and the leverage, options-income, or crypto caveats flagged on this page apply regardless of score.
Which has lower fees, MSTY or SCHD?
MSTY has an expense ratio of 1.03% while SCHD charges 0.06%. Lower fees mean more of your investment returns stay in your pocket over time.
How much income does $10,000 in MSTY vs SCHD generate?
At current rates, $10,000 in MSTY would generate roughly $190.15 cash per distribution ($9,888.00 annually). The same in SCHD would produce about $81.50 cash per distribution ($326.00 annually).
Which has performed better historically, MSTY or SCHD?
MSTY has lagged SCHD over the trailing twelve months, posting a -46.90% total return against 23.02%. Measured from Feb 2024 — the start of shared available history — MSTY has compounded at 24.54% a year versus 13.56% for SCHD. SCHD has been the steadier holding, though — annualized volatility of 11.2% against 69.4% for MSTY. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Explore related screeners
Lateral filters that include these funds — browse the full peer set on DividendVision.
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