Overview
- Ultra-cheap developed-market ETFs such as SPDW, SCHF, and VEA charge about 0.03% and often show higher dividend yields than broader funds like ACWX, which typically runs near 0.32%.
- Coverage choices diverge: developed-only funds (SPDW, SCHF, VEA, IEFA) contrast with emerging-inclusive options (ACWX, VXUS), pure emerging plays (IEMG, VWO, EEM), all-world exposure (VT), and ESG screens that include U.S. names (NZAC).
- Sector tilts and concentration differ materially, with ACWX and EM funds leaning into Asia and technology heavyweights such as TSMC, Tencent, and Samsung, while developed-only peers skew toward financials and industrials with smaller single-stock weights.
- Recent one-year returns generally favor low-cost developed funds, though comparisons show tradeoffs over longer horizons, including VT’s stronger multi-year growth versus ACWX and ACWX’s smaller five-year drawdown versus IEMG.
- Income and mechanics vary, with SCHF and SPDW yielding roughly 3.2%–3.3% against ACWX near 2.7%, and payout schedules differing across funds, such as VT and VXUS paying quarterly versus semi-annual distributions for ACWX and SPDW.