Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTMichael WilliamsSat, July 18, 2026 at 12:35 AM GMT+2 5 min readQuick ReadDIVO's 0.56% fee runs nearly 10x that of passive peers, draining roughly $4,000 more from a $10,000 position over 20 years.DIVO trailed SPY by roughly 5 percentage points over one year, while SCHD delivers similar dividend exposure for just $6 annually per $10,000 invested.A $0.95 special distribution in December 2025 lands in taxable accounts uninvited, adding a lumpy tax event to DIVO's already elevated cost structure.Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset's free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don't waste another minute; learn more here.You bought Amplify CWP Enhanced Dividend Income ETF (NYSEARCA:DIVO) for the monthly deposit and the calm ride. You are paying for that comfort twice: once at the register, in a fee nearly ten times a passive dividend peer, and again in the mail, every time the fund sells away your best months to write you a check.Cinemato / Shutterstock.comWhat You Are Actually PayingDIVO's expense ratio sits at 0.56%. On a $10,000 position, that is $56 a year, every year, whether the fund beats the market or trails it. Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (NYSEARCA:SCHD) charges roughly $6 on the same stake. The gap sounds small until you compound it. Over 20 years, at an 8% pre-fee return, a $10,000 investment paying $6 a year in fees ends near $46,000. The same investment paying $56 a year ends closer to $42,000. That is roughly $4,000 in fee drag alone, before a single tax bill.DIVO has taken in real money on that fee. Net assets stood at $5.24 billion as of May 20, 2026, up from the $1 billion milestone the fund crossed in late June 2026 headlines. On $5.24 billion, a 0.56% ratio funds a substantial management operation. It is a fee that adds up whether or not the strategy earns its keep._________________________________What's Your Number...?Here's a question most people 5y from retirement can't answer: at your current savings rate, how much do you need, and how long will it actually last? A good advisor can put a date on that in a single meeting. SmartAsset's free quiz matches you with up to three fiduciary advisors serving your area, so you can get YOUR retirement number now (sponsor)__________________________________________The Part the Fact Sheet Does Not HighlightThe bigger cost lives in the covered-call overlay. DIVO writes options on select holdings to juice the monthly payout, and that overlay hands away upside in strong months. One analysis pegged the drag at 20% to 30% of gains in peak months. You can see it in the returns. Year-to-date through July 10, 2026, DIVO returned 6.94% while the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY) returned 10.71%. Over one year, DIVO gained 15.61% versus SPY's 20.63%. Over five years, DIVO returned 65.56% against 73.34% for SPY. Over ten years, DIVO's 210.22% trails SPY's 251.22%. That total-return gap is the price of the smoother ride.Terms and Privacy PolicyEU DSA contactPrivacy & Cookie SettingsMore Info