Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
FSEP vs VOO: how they differ
FSEP and VOO are measured over different days, and VOO charges 0.03% against 0.85%.
FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September and Vanguard 500 Index Fund.
| FSEP FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September | VOO Vanguard 500 Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Buffer ETF | Core index fund |
| Issuer | First Trust | Vanguard |
| What it is | Defined outcome, 10% on SPY | S&P 500 |
| Total return, 1 year | not published | +17.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | not published | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | not available | +0.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.03% |
| Holdings | not filed | 506 |
FSEP in plain words
SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +14.0% for the period on Sep 12, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 0.4% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 12.0% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 13.2% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 10.0% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 7 days remained on Sep 12, 2026. On Sep 18, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.
VOO in plain words
VOO is an index equity fund tracking the S&P 500. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 506 positions, with the top ten at 36.5%.
Questions people ask
- Which is cheaper, FSEP or VOO?
- FSEP charges 0.85% a year and VOO charges 0.03%, so VOO is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- Are FSEP and VOO the same kind of fund?
- No. FSEP is a buffer ETF and VOO is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, FSEP against VOO, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/FSEP-VOO Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources