Data as of .
BDEC vs DECU: which one stands where?
As of Sep 21, 2026 BDEC can fall 11.2% before its buffer engages and DECU 9.2%, and BDEC resets 1 days sooner.
ETFIQ Downside Cover Score: DECU scores higher
If the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?
A percentile among the 293 buffer ETFs with a live outcome period. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All buffer ETFs ranked by it · How it is computed
Where each one stands today
BDEC resets first, on Nov 30, 2026, 70 days from now; DECU runs to Nov 30, 2026, 71 days. A fall from here reaches BDEC’s buffer after 11.2% and DECU’s after 9.2%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
Every figure is ETFIQ’s own, from the issuer’s published outcome-period terms. A buffer ETF holds FLEX options on its reference index rather than shares, so there is no holdings overlap between two of them to report.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Gap to the reference | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDEC | DECU | BDEC | DECU | |
| 3 months | +2.4% | +0.8% | +0.2 pts | −1.5 pts |
| 6 months | +13.7% | +11.0% | −4.3 pts | −7.0 pts |
| 1 year | +14.4% | +10.3% | −2.2 pts | −6.3 pts |
| 3 years | +50.9% | not published | −27.5 pts | not published |
| BDEC Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - Dec Absorbs the first 9% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 17.4%, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026 | DECU AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 Uncapped ETF - Dec Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and does not cap the gain, over a period ending Nov 30, 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Innovator | AllianzIM |
| Reference index | SPY | SPY |
| Buffer | 9% | 15% |
| Outcome period | Nov 30, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 1, 2025 to Nov 30, 2026 |
| Days left | 70 | 71 |
| Starting cap | +17.4% | uncapped |
| Can still gain | 4.4% | uncapped |
| Fall before buffer | 11.2% | 9.2% |
| Protection left, index points | 9.0% of 9.0% | 15.0% of 15.0% |
| Index return this period | +13.3% | +13.3% |
| Fund return this period | +11.8% | +9.2% |
| State today | Open | Uncapped |
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.74% |
| Net assets | $213m | $52m |
BDEC in plain words
From its price on Sep 21, 2026, the fund can gain about 4.4% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 11.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 11.7% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 9.0% of the 9.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 70 days remained on Sep 21, 2026. On Nov 30, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.
DECU in plain words
This fund has no cap. It takes a share of any further rise in SPY. The fund's price can fall 9.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 71 days remained on Sep 21, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which resets first, BDEC or DECU?
- BDEC ends its outcome period on Nov 30, 2026 and DECU on Nov 30, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
- Which is cheaper, BDEC or DECU?
- BDEC charges 0.79% a year and DECU charges 0.74%, so DECU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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, BDEC against DECU, data as of Sep 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/bdec-vs-decu Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.