Is USEP or VYM a better dividend investment in 2026?

USEP currently yields 5.25% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. VYM yields 2.41% with 7.8% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: USEP offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between USEP and VYM?

USEP has a forward dividend yield of 5.25% ($2.00/share annually). VYM yields 2.41% ($3.51/share annually). The yield gap is 2.84 percentage points.

Home › Compare › USEP vs VYM

USEP vs VYM: Dividend Comparison 2026

USEP yields 5.25% · VYM yields 2.41%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 USEP wins by $399.00 in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

USEP

● Live price

5.25%

Share price

$38.13

Annual div

$2.00

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$28.2K

Annual income

$733.54

Full USEP 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 — USEP vs VYM

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

Jan

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Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

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Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

USEP pays

VYM pays

Both pay

Neither

💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

USEP

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

$445.90/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$623.51/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, USEP beats the other by $386.74/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 USEP + VYM for your $10,000?

USEP: 50%VYM: 50%

100% VYM50/50100% USEP

Portfolio after 10yr

$28.0K

Annual income

$506.04/yr

Blended yield

1.80%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

USEP buys

VYM buys

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

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

MetricUSEPVYM

Forward yield	5.25% ✓	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	$28.2K ✓	$27.8K
Annual income after 10y	$733.54 ✓	$278.55
Total dividends collected	$6.3K ✓	$2.6K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

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

Year	USEP Portfolio	USEP Income/yr	VYM Portfolio	VYM Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$11,225	$524.59	$11,151	$241.44	+$74.00 → USEP
2	$12,561	$550.31	$12,413	$246.79	+$148.00 → USEP
3	$14,015	$575.52	$13,794	$251.79	+$221.00 → USEP
4	$15,597	$600.17	$15,306	$256.47	+$291.00 → USEP
5	$17,313	$624.19	$16,960	$260.84	+$353.00 → USEP
6	$19,172	$647.54	$18,768	$264.92	+$404.00 → USEP
7	$21,184	$670.17	$20,745	$268.71	+$439.00 → USEP
8	$23,359	$692.06	$22,905	$272.24	+$454.00 → USEP
9	$25,708	$713.19	$25,265	$275.51	+$443.00 → USEP
10	$28,241	$733.54	$27,842	$278.55	+$399.00 → USEP

USEP vs VYM: Complete Analysis 2026

USEP — Stock

The Innovator U.S. Equity Ultra Buffer ETF seeks to track the return of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY), up to a predetermined cap, while buffering investors against losses from -5% to -35% over the outcome period. The ETF can be held indefinitely, resetting at the end of each outcome period, approximately annually.

Full USEP 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.