Vanguard vs. Fidelity: Dividend ETF Showdown

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SO, YOU’RE TRYING TO PICK between VIG and FDVV? A FINE PROBLEM TO HAVE, MY FRIEND. FIDELITY‘S FDVV (0.62%) SHOUTS “I’M HUNGRY!” WITH A 3.02% YIELD, WHILE VANGUARD’S VIG (0.37%) WHISPERS “I’M SAVVY” WITH 0.05% FEES. IT’S LIKE CHOOSING BETWEEN A DRUG DEALER AND A CHURCH DEACON-BOTH ARE SCARY, BUT ONE MIGHT KILL YOU FASTER.

THEY BOTH PLAY THE DIVIDEND GAME, BUT ONE’S A CLOWN CAR AND THE OTHER’S A ROCKET SCIENCE LAB. THIS ISN’T JUST A RACE TO THE BANK-IT’S A WAR OF TRENDS, FEES, AND THE SILENT SCREAM OF MARKET HEDGES. LET’S DIVE IN, YOU LUNATICS.

SNAPSHOT (COST & SIZE)

Metric FDVV VIG
Issuer Fidelity Vanguard
Expense ratio 0.15% 0.05%
1-year return (as of 2026-1-2) 17.7% 15.1%
Dividend yield 3.02% 1.59%
Beta 0.82 0.79
AUM $7.7 billion $120.4 billion

BETA IS THE MARKET’S DRUG TEST-HOW MUCH DOES IT JITTER WHEN THE COPS SHOW UP? THE ONE-YEAR RETURN IS JUST A TRAILER FOR THE MAIN EVENT.

FDVV’S 0.15% FEE IS A SLAP IN THE FACE COMPARED TO VIG’S 0.05%-A FEE SO LOW IT MAKES YOU QUESTION YOUR LIFE CHOICES. FDVV’S 3.02% YIELD IS A SIREN SONG, BUT VIG’S 1.59% IS LIKE A SLOW BURN IN A BONE.

PERFORMANCE & RISK COMPARISON

Metric FDVV VIG
Max drawdown (5 y) (20.2%) (20.4%)
Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $2,098 $1,713

WHAT’S INSIDE

VIG IS A JUNGLE OF 338 LARGE-CAP STOCKS, ALL SCREAMING “I’M A DIVIDEND GROWTH MACHINE!” IT’S GOT TECHNOLOGY (30%), FINANCIALS (21%), AND HEALTHCARE (15%)-LIKE A FEDERAL RESERVE MEETING WITH A STICK OF CHOCOLATE. ITS TOP HOLDINGS? BROADCOM, MICROSOFT, AND APPLE-THE TRIO THAT WOULD ROLL OVER AND DIE IF YOU TOLD THEM TO STOP MAKING MONEY.

FDVV, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS A FOCUSED FIREPOWER OF 119 STOCKS, TILTING TOWARD TECHNOLOGY (26%) AND CONSUMER DEFENSIVES (12%). ITS TOP HOLDINGS? NVidia, MICROSOFT, AND APPLE-THE SAME TRIO, BUT NOW THEY’RE WRAPPED IN A BOMB SHELTER. THIS ISN’T JUST INVESTING; IT’S A GAMBLE WITH A BULLET IN THE CHAMBER.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR INVESTORS

SINCE 2016, THESE ETFs HAVE BEEN LOCKED IN A TIE-FDVV UP 13.2%, VIG UP 13.1%. BUT LAST YEAR? FDVV’S A 14-BAGGER, MAINLY BECAUSE OF NVidia, WHICH IS NOW 6.2% OF THE PORTFOLIO. IT’S LIKE HAVING A DRUG DEALER IN YOUR PUPPY. THE YIELD? 0.02%-A SAD JESTER IN A CIRCUS OF GROWTH.

SO, WHO’S THE REAL DEAL? VIG’S LOWER FEES AND TRUE DIVIDEND ORIENTATION MAKE IT A SLOWER, MORE STEADY HORSE. FDVV? IT’S A RACECAR WITH A BOMB IN THE TRUNK. IF YOU DON’T OWN NVidia, FDVV IS A WAY TO GET GROWTH WITH A SIDE OF DIVIDENDS. BUT IF YOU WANT A “TRUE” DIVIDEND ETF, VIG IS THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN-ALTHOUGH IT’S RUNNING ON EMPTY.

GLOSSARY

ETF: A BASKET OF SECURITIES THAT TRADERS TREAT LIKE A BURRITO-EAT IT, SPIT IT OUT, THEN BUY IT AGAIN.
Dividend yield: ANGELIC WHISPER THAT SAYS “I’LL PAY YOU TO HOLD ME.”
Expense ratio: THE FEE YOU PAY TO PLAY THE GAME, EVEN WHEN YOU’RE LOSING.
Assets under management (AUM): THE MARKET’S VERSION OF “HOW MUCH DO YOU OWN?”
Total return: THE MARKET’S VERSION OF “I’M STILL HERE.”
Beta: HOW MUCH YOUR STOCK SCREAMS WHEN THE MARKET TAKES A SHOT.
Max drawdown: THE DAY YOUR ACCOUNT FEELS LIKE IT’S BEEN STABBED.
Sector tilt: WHEN YOU’RE ALL IN ON ONE HORSE IN THE RACE.
Consumer defensive: COMPANIES THAT SELL TOOLS TO SURVIVE THE APOCALYPSE.
Large-cap: THE MARKET’S VERSION OF “I’M RICH.”
Dividend-oriented: WHEN A STOCK ACTUALLY PAYS YOU TO HOLD IT.
Diversification: THE MARKET’S VERSION OF “DON’T PUT ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET-OR IN ONE STOCK.”

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2026-01-03 19:48