Is RTL or VYM a better dividend investment in 2026?

RTL currently yields 11.17% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. VYM yields 2.41% with 7.8% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: RTL offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between RTL and VYM?

RTL has a forward dividend yield of 11.17% ($0.85/share annually). VYM yields 2.41% ($3.51/share annually). The yield gap is 8.76 percentage points.

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RTL vs VYM: Dividend Comparison 2026

RTL yields 11.17% · VYM yields 2.41%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 RTL wins by $82.9K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

RTL

● Live price

11.17%

Share price

$7.61

Annual div

$0.85

5Y div CAGR

17.1%

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$110.8K

Annual income

$23,910.05

Full RTL 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 — RTL vs VYM

📍 RTL pulled ahead of the other in Year 1

Annual dividend income

🛡️

Recession Test — Did They Cut Dividends?

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

Crisis Period	RTL	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, RTL + VYM cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

—

Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

RTL pays

VYM pays

Both pay

Neither

💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

RTL

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

$949.41/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$20,323.54/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, RTL beats the other by $20,086.77/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000

⚖️

Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

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

RTL: 50%VYM: 50%

100% VYM50/50100% RTL

Portfolio after 10yr

$69.3K

Annual income

$12,094.29/yr

Blended yield

17.45%

📊

Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on RTL right now

RTL

Analyst Ratings

Buy

Consensus: Buy

Altman Z

-0.3

Piotroski

5/9

VYM

No analyst data

Analyst ratings via FMP. Altman Z-Score: >3.0 safe, 1.81–3.0 grey zone, <1.81 distress. Piotroski: 7–9 strong, 0–3 weak.

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

RTL buys

VYM buys

No recent congressional trades found for RTL or VYM in the last 90 days.

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

MetricRTLVYM

Forward yield	11.17% ✓	2.41%
Annual dividend / share	$0.85	$3.51 ✓
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	0%
5-year div CAGR	17.1% ✓	0%
Portfolio after 10y	$110.8K ✓	$27.8K
Annual income after 10y	$23,910.05 ✓	$278.55
Total dividends collected	$77.8K ✓	$2.6K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

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

Year	RTL Portfolio	RTL Income/yr	VYM Portfolio	VYM Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$12,008	$1,307.95	$11,151	$241.44	+$857.00 → RTL
2	$14,567	$1,718.83	$12,413	$246.79	+$2.2K → RTL
3	$17,869	$2,282.01	$13,794	$251.79	+$4.1K → RTL
4	$22,183	$3,063.46	$15,306	$256.47	+$6.9K → RTL
5	$27,898	$4,162.08	$16,960	$260.84	+$10.9K → RTL
6	$35,580	$5,728.41	$18,768	$264.92	+$16.8K → RTL
7	$46,065	$7,995.22	$20,745	$268.71	+$25.3K → RTL
8	$60,619	$11,328.63	$22,905	$272.24	+$37.7K → RTL
9	$81,177	$16,314.80	$25,265	$275.51	+$55.9K → RTL
10	$110,769	$23,910.05	$27,842	$278.55	+$82.9K → RTL

RTL vs VYM: Complete Analysis 2026

RTL — Stock

The Necessity Retail REIT (Nasdaq: RTL) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust listed on Nasdaq focused on acquiring and managing a diversified portfolio of primarily service-oriented and traditional retail and distribution related commercial real estate properties in the U.S. Additional information about RTL can be found on its website at www.necessityretailreit.com.

Full RTL 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.