At a glance
RFDI charges 0.83% a year, above the 0.09% average of the 7 funds most like it (the most expensive of 8). It has $103.8M in assets, the 8th largest of that group; it paid 3.48% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned +18.3% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), the best of those 8 funds; over three years it returned +23.4% a year. At its worst it fell 33.1% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 34.9% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 7 months and 22 months after the lows.
The short version
First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Developed International ETF (RFDI) is a small First Trust fund, launched in April 2016, that holds stocks of companies in developed markets outside the US. Its 0.83% expense ratio is far above the 0.09% average for similar international funds, but its one- and three-year returns led that group as of late October 2026. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it yielded 3.48%, paid quarterly.
Price history
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RFDI +18.3% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RFDI price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +13.4% | +18.3% | +23.4% | +8.6% | +8.9% | +8.7% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, RFDI returned +18.3%, 1st of 8 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +8.6% and its 10-year +8.9%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 33.1% and regained its old high 6.7 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-23.6%); its best was 2025 (+36.0%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 39.4% (Jan 26, 2018 to Mar 23, 2020), recovered by Dec 29, 2020.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data |
|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +13.4% |
| 2025 | +36.0% |
| 2024 | +5.5% |
| 2023 | +18.1% |
| 2022 | -23.6% |
| 2021 | +17.3% |
| 2020 | +9.1% |
| 2019 | +20.5% |
| 2018 | -18.3% |
| 2017 | +24.1% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 33.1% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 33.1%, back to its old high 6.7 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 33.8% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 34.9%, back to its old high 21.5 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $2.1020 | |
| 2025 | $2.7800 | -13.4% |
| 2024 | $3.2100 | +115.4% |
| 2023 | $1.4900 | -44.0% |
| 2022 | $2.6600 | +13.2% |
| 2021 | $2.3500 | +173.3% |
| 2020 | $0.8600 | -47.6% |
| 2019 | $1.6400 | +24.2% |
| 2018 | $1.3200 | +26.9% |
| 2017 | $1.0400 |
How it works
RFDI is an ordinary stock ETF. It does not use leverage, does not bet against the market, and has no options overlay or buffer. It launched on April 13, 2016, and invests in shares of companies in developed countries outside the US. "Developed markets" generally means wealthier economies with established stock exchanges, such as those in Western Europe, Japan and Australia.
We could not find a current SEC prospectus or holdings report filed under the RFDI ticker. That can happen when a fund has been renamed or reorganized. Without those documents, we can't say from the fund's own filings which index or rules it follows, how it picks and weights stocks, how often it rebalances, or what its largest holdings are.
Some of its traits do show up in the numbers. Its 0.83% expense ratio is far above the 0.03% to 0.32% charged by the large, low-cost funds it was grouped with. A fee gap that wide usually pays for a stock-selection process rather than plain index tracking, and RiverFront's name on the fund points the same way. Its one-year beta was 0.83 as of October 27, 2026. Beta measures how much a fund moves compared with the broad market, so 0.83 means it moved somewhat less than the market. First Trust's own fund documents are the place to confirm the full method.
What it really costs
- RFDI charges 0.83% a year, versus an average of 0.09% for the similar funds below (8th of 8, cheapest first).
In a retirement portfolio
It adds stocks from developed markets outside the US, which don't always move in step with US shares, though its high fee and small size make it an unusual pick for that job.
RFDI could broaden a US-heavy portfolio, but its swings have been large. It fell 33.1% in the 2020 COVID crash and recovered in 6.7 months. In 2022 it dropped 34.9% between January 3 and September 27, and it took 21.5 months, until July 12, 2024, to get back to its peak. Its worst calendar year was 2022, at -23.6%. Its deepest drop was 39.4%, from January 2018 to March 2020. It launched in 2016, so it has no record from the 2008 crisis. Anyone who has to sell shares during a slump like these locks in the loss. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it yielded 3.48%, paid quarterly. Its 0.83% fee compares with a 0.09% average for similar funds. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want developed-market stocks outside the US and will pay 0.83% a year for a fund that led its peer group on one- and three-year returns.
- Income-minded investors who like quarterly payments; it yielded 3.48% over the 12 months to October 27, 2026.
- Investors adding a small international satellite next to a low-cost core fund, who can sit through drops like its 34.9% fall in 2022.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: VEA charges 0.03% and IEFA 0.07%, compared with RFDI's 0.83%, and both are vastly larger.
- Anyone who wants a fully documented method; we could not find a current SEC prospectus or holdings report filed under this ticker.
- Investors who may need to sell within a few years; it took 21.5 months to recover from its 2022 decline.
Close alternatives
Matched by legacy category (no holdings report for this fund).
| Fund | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RFDI this fund | 0.83% | $103.8M | +18.3% | +23.4% |
| VXUS Vanguard Total International Stock ETF | 0.05% | $455.40B | +12.9% | +20.3% |
| VEA Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF | 0.03% | $204.70B | +16.8% | +21.7% |
| IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | 0.07% | $127.60B | +13.7% | +18.5% |
| VEU Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund | 0.04% | $59.50B | +13.4% | +20.6% |
| EFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | 0.32% | $57.30B | +13.5% | +18.2% |
| SCHF Schwab International Equity ETF | 0.06% | $42.80B | +17.7% | +20.4% |
| IXUS iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock… | 0.07% | $39.90B | +13.8% | +19.5% |
Questions investors ask
Does RFDI pay dividends?
Yes. RFDI pays dividends quarterly. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid $3.102 per share, a trailing yield of 3.48%. That income comes from dividends paid by the foreign companies it owns, so the amount can change from quarter to quarter. Exchange rates also matter, because those dividends are converted into US dollars.
What's the difference between RFDI and VEA?
The biggest differences are cost and size. VEA, the Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF, charges 0.03% a year and had about $204.7 billion in assets, while RFDI charges 0.83% and had about $103.8 million. RFDI returned more over one year (18.3% vs. 16.8%) and three years (23.4% vs. 21.7% a year). RFDI's figures are as of October 27, 2026, and VEA's as of October 30, 2026. The two were grouped by broad category, not by matching holdings.
What is RFDI's expense ratio?
RFDI's expense ratio is 0.83% a year. That is the highest of the eight comparable international funds we looked at. The group average is 0.09%, and the cheapest, VEA, charges 0.03%. The fee comes out of the fund's assets automatically, so it lowers returns every year whether the fund does well or badly. Over long holding periods, a gap that size adds up.
Is RFDI an index fund?
We can't confirm it. We could not find a current SEC prospectus filed under the RFDI ticker, so we can't say from the fund's own documents whether it tracks an index or how it chooses stocks. Its 0.83% fee is much higher than broad international index funds, which often charge under 0.10%. That suggests a selection process beyond simple index tracking. First Trust's fund documents would confirm the details.
How did RFDI do in 2022?
Badly, like most stock funds that year. RFDI lost 23.56% in calendar 2022, its worst year since launch. From its January 3 peak to its September 27 low, it fell 34.9%. It didn't get back to its earlier high until July 12, 2024, about 21.5 months later. It rebounded strongly afterward, gaining 18.13% in 2023 and 35.95% in 2025.