Which has more room to gain, FDEC or QBSF?

From their prices on Oct 1, 2026, FDEC can gain about 3.9% before its cap and QBSF about 2.7%, so FDEC has more room left this period.

Which resets first, FDEC or QBSF?

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

Which is cheaper, FDEC or QBSF?

FDEC charges 0.85% a year and QBSF charges 0.64%, so QBSF is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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FDEC vs QBSF: which one stands where?

As of Oct 1, 2026 FDEC can fall 9.6% before its buffer engages and QBSF 0.2%, and FDEC resets 13 days sooner. FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December and AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 ETF - Jan.

9.6%

FDEC can fall this far before its buffer

0.2%

QBSF can fall this far before its buffer

3.9%

FDEC can still gain

2.7%

QBSF can still gain

FDECBetween buffer and cap

FDEC: reference +12.0% since period start, fund +9.6%; buffer 0 to −10; cap +14.8%; Between buffer and cap.

QBSFBetween buffer and cap

QBSF: reference 0.0% since period start, fund 0.0%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +2.9%; Between buffer and cap.

ETFIQ Downside Cover Score · QBSF scores higherIf the market falls into a bear market from here, how much does the buffer absorb?

FDEC 34.3

QBSF 83.8

0.2, the lowest in this set99.8, the highest

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

FDEC resets first, on Dec 18, 2026, 79 days from now; QBSF runs to Dec 31, 2026, 92 days. FDEC can still gain 3.9% before its cap, QBSF 2.7%. A fall from here reaches FDEC’s buffer after 9.6% and QBSF’s after 0.2%. 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

	Total return		Gap to the reference
Window	FDEC	QBSF	FDEC	QBSF
3 months	+2.9%	+1.9%	+0.4 pts	−0.6 pts
6 months	+12.0%	+4.8%	−5.0 pts	−12.2 pts
1 year	+13.8%	+7.2%	−1.9 pts	−8.5 pts
3 years	+59.2%	not published	−25.8 pts	not published

FDEC and QBSF over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ. Open the live comparison on ETFIQ →

On the same fields

FDEC

FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - December · Absorbs the first 10% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 14.8%, over a period ending Dec 18, 2026

QBSF

AllianzIM U.S. Equity Buffer15 ETF - Jan · Absorbs the first 15% of loss on SPY and caps the gain at 2.9%, over a period ending Dec 31, 2026

Issuer First Trust AllianzIM

Reference index SPY SPY

Buffer 10% 15%

Outcome period Dec 22, 2025 to Dec 18, 2026 Oct 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026

Days left 79 92

Starting cap +14.8% +2.9%

Can still gain 3.9% 2.7%

Fall before buffer 9.6% 0.2%

Protection left, index points 10.0% of 10.0% 15.0% of 15.0%

Index return this period +12.0% 0.0%

Fund return this period +9.6% 0.0%

State today Open Open

Expense ratio 0.85% 0.64%

Net assets $1.3bn $62m

FDEC and QBSF on the same fields, as of Oct 1, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

FDEC in plain words

From its price on Oct 1, 2026, the fund can gain about 3.9% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 9.6% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 10.7% 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. 79 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Dec 18, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

QBSF in plain words

From its price on Oct 1, 2026, the fund can gain about 2.7% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 0.2% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's figure. In index terms, SPY can fall 0.0% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 92 days remained on Oct 1, 2026. On Dec 31, 2026 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Which has more room to gain, FDEC or QBSF?: From their prices on Oct 1, 2026, FDEC can gain about 3.9% before its cap and QBSF about 2.7%, so FDEC has more room left this period.
Which resets first, FDEC or QBSF?: FDEC ends its outcome period on Dec 18, 2026 and QBSF on Dec 31, 2026. A new cap is set the day after each.
Which is cheaper, FDEC or QBSF?: FDEC charges 0.85% a year and QBSF charges 0.64%, so QBSF is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

FDEC vs BJAN FDEC vs CPSD FDEC vs CPSY FDEC vs DDSQ QBSF vs FSEP QBSF vs GSEP QBSF vs OCTP QBSF vs OCTT

State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust →FDEC on its own →QBSF on its own →How every figure is computed →Standards and sources →

Where these figures came from

FDEC filings on SEC EDGAR ↗First Trust page for FDEC ↗QBSF filings on SEC EDGAR ↗AllianzIM page for QBSF ↗

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page

ETFIQ, FDEC against QBSF, data as of Oct 1, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/fdec-vs-qbsf

Open data

Free to use with attribution. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology.