Fidelity Runs an International Dividend Fund That Returned 27% and Yields 3.9%. It’s Half the Price of BlackRock’s

Fidelity's FIDI ETF returned 27% over the trailing year while charging just 0.18%, which is less than half of IDV's 0.50% fee and saves investors $320 annually per $100,000 invested.

IDV still wins on yield, paying well above 5% versus FIDI's 3.9%, making it the better pick only for investors who prioritize maximum current income over total return.

Taxable account holders sitting on IDV's ~28% gain should redirect new contributions to FIDI rather than selling, until the tax math favors a full swap.

Two retirees, same $1 million, same 4% rule, buy one finished with $1.4 million, the other hit $0 in 12 years. Our free reader guide explains the flaw that separated them, and the income-first method built to avoid it.

If you own the iShares International Select Dividend ETF ( CBOE:IDV ), you bought it for one reason: fat international dividend checks from developed-market blue chips outside the United States. BlackRock's IDV screens for high-yielding stocks in Europe, the UK, Australia, and Japan, and delivers a payout most US-only income funds cannot match. That case is real. But a newer, cheaper Fidelity competitor does nearly the same job for a fraction of the fee, and its recent performance has quietly kept pace. Before you renew your commitment to IDV, look at what the Fidelity International High Dividend ETF ( NYSEARCA:FIDI ) is offering.

Why IDV Is Widely Owned in the First Place

IDV is the incumbent for a reason. It targets 100 of the highest-yielding developed-market stocks outside the US, and it distributes cash quarterly. Over the last year, IDV returned 28.3% on price alone, and its trailing 12-month dividends of $2.42 per share against a $44.30 share price produce a distribution yield well north of 5%. For an investor who wants overseas income without individual stock picking, that is a legitimate package.

The 4% Rule is Broken, Built On A World That No Longer Exists

Every retiree knows about the 4% rule, but it frames retirement as a slow liquidation and still causes retirees with seven-figure accounts to agonize over a dinner out.

There's a different way to run the math that makes more sense today. Build an income floor — dividends, interest, and Social Security that cover your essential bills every month — and you never have to sell shares into a down market just to pay them.

Our free reader guide, The 4% Rule Is Broken , walks through it in about 15 minutes. Access the report here.

IDV's expense ratio, per BlackRock's most recent prospectus dated August 31, 2026, is 0.50%. FIDI charges just 0.18%. That is a 32 basis point gap (Fidelity's fund is actually less than half the cost of BlackRock's). On a $100,000 position, that is $320 a year that stays in your account instead of leaving as fund expenses. Over a decade, under reasonable compounding assumptions, the fee drag on IDV silently eats into what should be your dividends.