Is VSL or RYLD a better dividend investment in 2026?

VSL currently yields 5.64% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. RYLD yields 4.00% with 5% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: VSL offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between VSL and RYLD?

VSL has a forward dividend yield of 5.64% ($2.00/share annually). RYLD yields 4.00% ($2.00/share annually). The yield gap is 1.64 percentage points.

Home › Compare › VSL vs RYLD

VSL vs RYLD: Dividend Comparison 2026

VSL yields 5.64% · RYLD yields 4.00%● Live data

vsPost on X →

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

🏆 VSL wins by $954.00 in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

VSL

● Live price

5.64%

Share price

$35.47

Annual div

$2.00

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$29.0K

Annual income

$808.18

Full VSL calculator →

RYLD

● Live price

4.00%

Share price

$50.00

Annual div

$2.00

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$28.0K

Annual income

$899.19

Full RYLD calculator →

Portfolio growth — VSL vs RYLD

📍 VSL 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	VSL	RYLD
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, VSL + RYLD cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

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Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

VSL pays

RYLD pays

Both pay

Neither

💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

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

VSL

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

$479.33/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$686.95/yr

RYLD

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

$340.00/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$764.31/yr

At 15% tax rate, RYLD beats the other by $77.36/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 VSL + RYLD for your $10,000?

VSL: 50%RYLD: 50%

100% RYLD50/50100% VSL

Portfolio after 10yr

$28.5K

Annual income

$853.69/yr

Blended yield

2.99%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

VSL buys

RYLD buys

No recent congressional trades found for VSL or RYLD in the last 90 days.

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

MetricVSLRYLD

Forward yield	5.64% ✓	4.00%
Annual dividend / share	$2.00	$2.00
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	5% ✓
5-year div CAGR	0%	5% ✓
Portfolio after 10y	$29.0K ✓	$28.0K
Annual income after 10y	$808.18	$899.19 ✓
Total dividends collected	$6.9K ✓	$6.4K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

Year-by-year: VSL vs RYLD ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	VSL Portfolio	VSL Income/yr	RYLD Portfolio	RYLD Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$11,264	$563.91	$11,120	$420.00	+$144.00 → VSL
2	$12,646	$593.63	$12,357	$458.31	+$289.00 → VSL
3	$14,154	$622.87	$13,721	$499.76	+$433.00 → VSL
4	$15,796	$651.54	$15,227	$544.58	+$569.00 → VSL
5	$17,582	$679.57	$16,885	$593.02	+$697.00 → VSL
6	$19,519	$706.90	$18,713	$645.34	+$806.00 → VSL
7	$21,619	$733.46	$20,724	$701.81	+$895.00 → VSL
8	$23,892	$759.22	$22,938	$762.73	+$954.00 → VSL
9	$26,348	$784.13	$25,372	$828.41	+$976.00 → VSL
10	$29,001	$808.18	$28,047	$899.19	+$954.00 → VSL

VSL vs RYLD: Complete Analysis 2026

VSL — Stock

Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the fund’s net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, will be invested in large cap companies. The index was developed in 2016 by Revolution Capital Advisors, LLC, the fund’s investment adviser, and uses an objective, rules-based methodology to measure the performance of an equal-weighted portfolio of approximately 25 large capitalization U.S.-listed companies based on a quantitative algorithm (the “model”).

Full VSL Calculator →

RYLD — ETF

RYLD is a dividend-paying stock. Use this calculator to estimate your future dividend income, DRIP compounding returns, and passive income potential from investing in RYLD shares.

Full RYLD 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.