Is LRET or VYM a better dividend investment in 2026?

LRET currently yields 23.81% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. VYM yields 2.41% with 7.8% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: LRET offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between LRET and VYM?

LRET has a forward dividend yield of 23.81% ($2.00/share annually). VYM yields 2.41% ($3.51/share annually). The yield gap is 21.40 percentage points.

Home › Compare › LRET vs VYM

LRET vs VYM: Dividend Comparison 2026

LRET yields 23.81% · VYM yields 2.41%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 LRET wins by $64.1K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

LRET

● Live price

23.81%

Share price

$8.40

Annual div

$2.00

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$92.0K

Annual income

$9,931.73

Full LRET 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 — LRET vs VYM

📍 LRET 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	LRET	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, LRET + VYM cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

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Feb

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Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

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Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

LRET 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.

LRET

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

$2,023.81/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$8,441.97/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, LRET beats the other by $8,205.20/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 LRET + VYM for your $10,000?

LRET: 50%VYM: 50%

100% VYM50/50100% LRET

Portfolio after 10yr

$59.9K

Annual income

$5,105.13/yr

Blended yield

8.52%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

LRET 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 →

MetricLRETVYM

Forward yield	23.81% ✓	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	$92.0K ✓	$27.8K
Annual income after 10y	$9,931.73 ✓	$278.55
Total dividends collected	$56.9K ✓	$2.6K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

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

Year	LRET Portfolio	LRET Income/yr	VYM Portfolio	VYM Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$13,081	$2,380.95	$11,151	$241.44	+$1.9K → LRET
2	$16,907	$2,910.76	$12,413	$246.79	+$4.5K → LRET
3	$21,607	$3,516.09	$13,794	$251.79	+$7.8K → LRET
4	$27,319	$4,199.46	$15,306	$256.47	+$12.0K → LRET
5	$34,194	$4,962.26	$16,960	$260.84	+$17.2K → LRET
6	$42,392	$5,804.64	$18,768	$264.92	+$23.6K → LRET
7	$52,085	$6,725.57	$20,745	$268.71	+$31.3K → LRET
8	$63,453	$7,722.79	$22,905	$272.24	+$40.5K → LRET
9	$76,688	$8,792.97	$25,265	$275.51	+$51.4K → LRET
10	$91,988	$9,931.73	$27,842	$278.55	+$64.1K → LRET

LRET vs VYM: Complete Analysis 2026

LRET — Stock

The investment seeks a return linked to the monthly compounded 2x leveraged performance of MSCI US REIT Index, less investor fees. The MSCI US REIT Index is a free floatÂ©\adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is comprised of equity REIT securities. The index includes securities with exposure to core real estate (e.g. residential and retail properties) as well as securities with exposure to other types of real estate (e.g. casinos and theaters).

Full LRET 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.