The cost of insuring against natural disasters has climbed sharply over the past decade. More people are living in coastal regions, wildfire-prone communities, and other high-risk areas, so when disasters strike, there is simply…
Master limited partnerships (MLPs) have long been favorites among income investors thanks to their pass-through structure and typically generous cash distributions. Many also own energy infrastructure assets such as pipelines, storage terminals, and processing…
It’s quoted all the time, but I can’t stand adjusted EBITDA: earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, with management often adding back an even longer list of “one-time” expenses. The problem is that…
Bitcoin itself doesn’t generate any income. Yet a growing number of Bitcoin-linked ETFs distribute sizable amounts of cash to shareholders. The oldest and perhaps best-known example is the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO). Launched…
The U.S. economy has proven remarkably resilient over the past two decades. Sure, COVID briefly punished the economy, but the downturn was short-lived after the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates to near zero and…
The State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) remains one of the most popular ETFs ever created, but income investors may be disappointed by what it currently pays. After deducting its 0.0945% expense…
On its own, the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) is not much of an income investment. After deducting its 0.18% expense ratio, the ETF currently offers a 0.47% 30-day SEC yield. QQQ tracks 100 of…
As a general rule, I expect covered call ETFs to lag the broader market over time. The math is not particularly favorable. You cap your upside, retain most of the downside, pay higher management…
The risk-and-return profile of most covered call ETFs isn’t especially appealing. You cap your upside while retaining most of the downside exposure. On top of that, the distributions investors receive are not free money.…
The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) isn’t exactly an income powerhouse. After deducting its 0.19% expense ratio, the ETF currently sports a 0.95% 30-day SEC yield as of May 31, 2026. Small-cap companies tend…
If you’re new to options, there are two strategies that are generally less likely to blow up your account than outright speculation. The first is the covered call, where you own 100 shares of…
Are you tired of paying ETF providers a fat management fee to sell covered calls for you? If you think you can do better yourself, especially using a zero-commission brokerage, there is always the…
The Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) is one of the most popular ETFs among options traders. It offers daily-expiring options, dozens of strike prices, high open interest, narrow bid-ask spreads, and substantial implied volatility. All…
One of the most important concepts investors can learn is tail risk.Tail risk refers to the possibility of an extreme market event that sits far out on the edges, or “tails,” of a probability…
Believe it or not, Volmageddon is now almost eight years behind us, but it is still fresh in my mind whenever I look at short-volatility products. For newer investors, Volmageddon refers to the volatility…
The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) is the largest ETF on the U.S. market, with just over $1 trillion in assets under management. It got there because of several compounding factors: the strong performance…
One of the classic ways to earn income from Treasury bills is through a Treasury ladder. You take a lump sum and divide it across multiple maturities, such as three-month, six-month, nine-month, and 12-month…
The Magnificent Seven stocks are among the most popular names for covered call investors. That isn’t surprising. Their options chains are highly liquid, there’s no shortage of strike prices and expiration dates, and their…
There are really three dates that matter for ETF income investors. First comes the declaration date, when the ETF sponsor announces how much will be paid. Next comes the ex-distribution date. This is the…
ETF distributions have come a long way. Depending on the fund, investors can receive income annually, semi-annually, quarterly, monthly, or even weekly. As of June 2026, however, there still isn’t a ETF that pays…
