Is IBUF or VYM a better dividend investment in 2026?

IBUF currently yields 6.83% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. VYM yields 2.41% with 7.8% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: IBUF offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between IBUF and VYM?

IBUF has a forward dividend yield of 6.83% ($2.00/share annually). VYM yields 2.41% ($3.51/share annually). The yield gap is 4.42 percentage points.

Home › Compare › IBUF vs VYM

IBUF vs VYM: Dividend Comparison 2026

IBUF yields 6.83% · VYM yields 2.41%● Live data

vsPost on X →

After 10 years · $10,000 invested · DRIP enabled

🏆 IBUF wins by $3.6K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

IBUF

● Live price

6.83%

Share price

$29.28

Annual div

$2.00

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$31.4K

Annual income

$1,054.33

Full IBUF calculator →

VYM

Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF

● Live price

2.41%

Share price

$145.48

Annual div

$3.51

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$27.8K

Annual income

$278.55

Full VYM calculator →

Portfolio growth — IBUF vs VYM

📍 IBUF pulled ahead of the other in Year 1

Annual dividend income

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Recession Test — Did They Cut Dividends?

How each stock treated shareholders during the 3 biggest crises of the last 20 years

Crisis Period	IBUF	VYM
2008–2009 GFC	— No data	— No data
2020 Q1–Q2 COVID	— No data	— No data
2022 Q4 Rate Hike	— No data	— No data

Based on dividend payment history. "Increased" = dividend grew during crisis. "Maintained" = held within 3%. "Cut" = reduced by more than 3%.

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Dividend Calendar Overlap

Combined, IBUF + VYM cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

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Feb

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Mar

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Apr

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May

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Jun

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Oct

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Dec

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IBUF pays

VYM pays

Both pay

Neither

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Tax Bracket Optimizer

Which stock is actually better after tax? Adjust your rate to find out.

IBUF

Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)

$580.60/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$896.18/yr

VYM

Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)

$205.23/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$236.77/yr

At 15% tax rate, IBUF beats the other by $659.41/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000

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Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

What's the optimal mix of IBUF + VYM for your $10,000?

IBUF: 50%VYM: 50%

100% VYM50/50100% IBUF

Portfolio after 10yr

$29.6K

Annual income

$666.43/yr

Blended yield

2.25%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

IBUF buys

VYM buys

Politician	Chamber	Ticker	Type	Amount	Date
Carol Devine Miller	🏢 House	$VYM	▲ Buy	$15,001 - $50,000	2022-11-02

STOCK Act mandates disclosure within 45 days of transaction. Data via FMP.Full tracker →

MetricIBUFVYM

Forward yield	6.83% ✓	2.41%
Annual dividend / share	$2.00	$3.51 ✓
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	0%
5-year div CAGR	0%	0%
Portfolio after 10y	$31.4K ✓	$27.8K
Annual income after 10y	$1,054.33 ✓	$278.55
Total dividends collected	$8.7K ✓	$2.6K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

Year-by-year: IBUF vs VYM ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	IBUF Portfolio	IBUF Income/yr	VYM Portfolio	VYM Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$11,383	$683.06	$11,151	$241.44	+$232.00 → IBUF
2	$12,907	$726.66	$12,413	$246.79	+$494.00 → IBUF
3	$14,580	$770.02	$13,794	$251.79	+$786.00 → IBUF
4	$16,414	$812.95	$15,306	$256.47	+$1.1K → IBUF
5	$18,418	$855.32	$16,960	$260.84	+$1.5K → IBUF
6	$20,604	$896.97	$18,768	$264.92	+$1.8K → IBUF
7	$22,984	$937.80	$20,745	$268.71	+$2.2K → IBUF
8	$25,571	$977.69	$22,905	$272.24	+$2.7K → IBUF
9	$28,377	$1,016.56	$25,265	$275.51	+$3.1K → IBUF
10	$31,418	$1,054.33	$27,842	$278.55	+$3.6K → IBUF

IBUF vs VYM: Complete Analysis 2026

IBUF — Stock

The Innovator International Developed 10 Buffer ETF seeks to track the return of the iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA), to a cap, and provide a measure of downside protection by providing a 10% buffer over each 3-month outcome period. The ETF can be held indefinitely, resetting at the end of each outcome period.

Full IBUF Calculator →

VYM — ETF

Seeks to track the performance of the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index, which measures the investment return of common stocks of companies characterized by high dividend yields. Provides a convenient way to track the performance of stocks that are forecasted to have above-average dividend yields. Follows a passively managed, full-replication approach.

Full VYM Calculator →

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⚠️ Educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Congressional trades sourced from SEC STOCK Act filings via FMP. Past performance does not guarantee future results.