Which has more room to gain, DECM or TJAN?

From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DECM can gain about 0.8% before its cap and TJAN about 0.8%, so the two have the same room left this period.

Which resets first, DECM or TJAN?

DECM ends its outcome period on Dec 18, 2026 and TJAN on Dec 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.

Which is cheaper, DECM or TJAN?

DECM charges 0.85% a year and TJAN charges 0.79%, so TJAN is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Buffer ETFs

DECM vs TJAN: Cap, Buffer & Days Left

Share on X Download as PDF

As of Nov 4, 2026 TJAN can fall 13.3% before its buffer engages and DECM 5.8%, and DECM resets 13 days sooner.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about DECM and TJAN

Net assets: $35m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - December, and $32m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Jan 2027.

DECM on its own →TJAN on its own →

At a glance

5.8%

DECM can fall this far before its buffer

13.3%

TJAN can fall this far before its buffer

0.8%

DECM can still gain

0.8%

TJAN can still gain

DECM At its cap

DECM: reference +12.7% since period start, fund +5.3%; buffer 0 to −51; cap +7.0%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

TJAN At its cap

TJAN: reference +30.8% since period start, fund +13.4%; buffer Floor; cap +15.9%; At its cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

TJAN costs 0.06 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.1 points; DECM is 1.1 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

DECM vs TJAN: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
Measure	DECM	TJAN
Return
Measure	DECM	TJAN
Total return, 1 year	+6.4%	+6.3%
Drawdown
Measure	DECM	TJAN
Index fall to the buffer	11.2%	23.5%
Benchmark
Measure	DECM	TJAN
What it tracks	SPY	SPY
Cost and size
Measure	DECM	TJAN
Expense ratio	0.85%	0.79%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026	$35m	$32m
Holdings
Measure	DECM	TJAN
Holdings in common	not published

Method

Window by window

Window by window: DECM vs TJAN: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
	Total return		Gap to the reference's price return
Window	DECM	TJAN	DECM	TJAN
3 months	+1.3%	+1.2%	+1.7 pts	+1.6 pts
6 months	+3.0%	+3.0%	−1.5 pts	−1.5 pts
1 year	+6.4%	+6.3%	−7.2 pts	−7.3 pts
Since launchNot the same days: DECM Dec 2024 · TJAN Jan 2025	+11.9%	+13.1%	−17.0 pts	−18.1 pts

Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. Open this comparison in the app →

Side by side

DECM FT Vest U.S. Equity Max Buffer ETF - December · Absorbs the first 51% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 7.0%, over a period ending Dec 18, 2026 TJAN Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF - Jan 2027 · Absorbs the whole loss on SPY and caps the gain at 15.9%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026

Issuer First Trust Innovator

Reference index SPY SPY

Buffer 51% 100%

Outcome period Dec 22, 2025 to Dec 18, 2026 Dec 31, 2024 to Dec 31, 2026

Days left 44 57

Starting cap +7.0% +15.9%

Can still gain 0.8% 0.8%

Fall before buffer 5.8% 13.3%

Protection left, index points 50.6% of 50.6% 100.0% of 100.0%

Index return this period +12.7% +30.8%

Fund return this period +5.3% +13.4%

State today At cap At cap

Expense ratio 0.85% 0.79%

Net assets, DECM as of Nov 3, 2026 and TJAN as of Nov 4, 2026 $35m $32m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

These are two different products. TJAN is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. DECM is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.

Both are already at their cap, so neither gains from more rise in the index before the period ends.

Where each one stands today

DECM resets first, on Dec 18, 2026, 44 days from now; TJAN runs to Dec 31, 2026, 57 days. DECM can still gain 0.8% before its cap, TJAN 0.8%. A fall from here reaches DECM’s buffer after 5.8% and TJAN’s after 13.3%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.

Alert

About each fund

DECM

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +7.0% for the period on Nov 4, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's own price can still drift up to about 0.8% as the period runs out. The fund's price can fall 5.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 11.2% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 50.6% of the 50.6% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 44 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Dec 18, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

TJAN

SPY had already risen past this fund's cap of +15.9% for the period on Nov 4, 2026, so in index terms there is no more upside to collect. The fund's price can fall 13.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 23.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 57 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, DECM or TJAN?: From their prices on Nov 4, 2026, DECM can gain about 0.8% before its cap and TJAN about 0.8%, so the two have the same room left this period.
Which resets first, DECM or TJAN?: DECM ends its outcome period on Dec 18, 2026 and TJAN on Dec 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, DECM or TJAN?: DECM charges 0.85% a year and TJAN charges 0.79%, so TJAN is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

DECM vs CPSY DECM vs QBSV DECM vs SQMX DECM vs JANU TJAN vs CPSD TJAN vs AIOO TJAN vs QBSF TJAN vs EALT

Where to next

State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust →All buffer ETFs ranked by the Downside Cover Score →How the scores are computed →DECM on its own →TJAN on its own →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

DECM filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

First Trust page for DECM ↗

Innovator page for TJAN ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

ETFIQ calculates every number from each issuer’s published outcome-period terms. Buffer ETFs hold options on an index, not shares, so there is no holdings overlap to report.

Every number is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, DECM against TJAN, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/decm-vs-tjan

Open data →

Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.