Many income investors assume that the highest-yielding dividend ETF is automatically the better investment. However, that has not necessarily been the case in 2026. While high-yield strategies continue to attract investors seeking immediate income, dividend growth ETFs have historically delivered stronger long-term total returns by investing in companies with growing earnings, rising dividends, and high-quality fundamentals.

Two of the most popular ETFs representing these approaches are the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (NYSEARCA: VIG) and the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (NYSEARCA: VYM). VIG prioritizes companies with long records of increasing dividends, while VYM focuses on stocks offering above-average current yields. For…