A 64-Year-Old Swapped XYLD for SPYI in a $1.37 Million Portfolio. Here’s What Happened to His $7,300 Monthly Paycheck
His XYLD check arrived every month, yet the share price kept sinking and the paycheck fell short of what he needed. One swap inside a seven-figure portfolio changed the math, but a tax catch could decide whether it was smart.
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Picture a 64-year-old retiree who keeps noticing the same thing on his brokerage statement. His Global X S&P 500 Covered Call ETF (NYSEARCA:XYLD) mailed a check every month, but its share price kept slipping. It fell about 18% over five years.
So he switched it for the NEOS S&P 500 High Income ETF (CBOE:SPYI) inside a $1.37 million portfolio that needs to pay him $7,300 a month. He’s a good example based on figures that were pulled as of November 6, 2026.
Switched XYLD for SPYI at the Same Weight
Both funds own the S&P 500 and sell call options on the index. A call option gives someone else the right to buy at a set price. The fund pockets cash up front, called a premium, and gives up gains above that price.
XYLD tracks a buy-write index that sells calls against the full value of its stocks, so it gives away most of a rally (the fund itself warns covered calls can limit upside). SPYI aims for high monthly income in a tax-efficient manner, with potential for upside in rising markets.
XYLD’s forward distribution of $3.77 a share on a $40 price works out to roughly a 9.4% yield. SPYI’s $6.10 on a $51 share comes to about 11.9%. Both pay monthly, and neither amount is fixed.
At a 20% weight, the slot holds $274,000. In XYLD, that slot paid about $2,142 a month. SPYI pays about $2,718.
Across the whole portfolio, the previous version paid about $7,033 a month, which falls short of $7,300. After the swap, it pays about $7,609, which meets the target.
Since SPYI launched in late August 2022, its dividend-adjusted total return is about 73%, against about 51% for XYLD. On share price alone since September 2022, SPYI rose about 15% and XYLD about 5%.
Taxable Account or IRA Changes the Math
Inside an IRA, the IRS rules on investment income don’t apply. Withdrawals get taxed as IRA distributions, so SPYI’s tax design adds little. In a taxable account, it matters. Gains on Section 1256 contracts, which include broad index options, count as 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains under 26 U.S.C. § 1256(a)(3).
XYLD says its distributions may contain return of capital, meaning part of the check is his own money coming back. That portion isn’t taxed right away. It reduces his cost basis under § 301(c)(2), and anything beyond basis becomes a gain.
Year-end tax forms from each fund show the actual split. Selling XYLD in a taxable account causes a gain or loss equal to the sale price minus adjusted basis.
iShares Select Dividend ETF
iShares Select Dividend ETF (NASDAQ:DVY) holds U.S. stocks with long dividend records, tilted toward utilities, financials, and basics. It’s a 20% weight, yielding about 3.3%. It pays quarterly, so the cash arrives in chunks. It’s up about 19% in a year.
Gaming and Leisure Properties
Gaming and Leisure Properties (NASDAQ:GLPI) is a casino REIT owning 71 gaming facilities, leased so tenants cover taxes, insurance, and maintenance. At 15%, it yields about 8.4%. The quarterly payout rose from $0.76 in 2024 to $0.82, though it dropped to $0.12 in May 2020.
Gladstone Investment
Gladstone Investment (NASDAQ:GAIN) operates as a business development company, a fund that loans to and invests in smaller private businesses. At 15%, its regular $0.08 monthly payout yields about 6.5%. Supplementals land on top, like $0.54 in June 2025. All its debt floats with 30-day SOFR, so falling rates trim income.
Kinder Morgan
Kinder Morgan (NYSE:KMI | KMI Price Prediction) runs about 78,000 miles of pipelines. It’s organized as a corporation paying taxable dividends, so shareholders skip the partnership K-1. At 15%, it yields about 4.0%. Its quarterly dividend rose to $0.2975 from $0.125 in 2016, after a cut from $0.51.
Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF
Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF (NASDAQ:VCIT) owns investment-grade corporate bonds and charges 0.03%. At 15%, it yields about 5.3%. Its price drops when rates rise, though middle-length maturity dates smooth the swings. The price is up only 4% in five years.
What the Swap Did to the Paycheck and Principal
One trade raised his monthly income from about $7,033 to $7,609, putting him past $7,300. SPYI’s share price also held up better (the mix, the payment calendar, and the withdrawal order behind a setup like this are all laid out in our free Paycheck Portfolio Method guide). Before he sold, he needed to run three checks:
- Compare total return, which counts payouts plus price change. Here it was about 73% against 51%.
- Pull each fund’s year-end return-of-capital breakdown to see how much of the check is new income.
- Look up his XYLD cost basis to see what gain or loss a taxable sale would cause.
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David Beren has been a Flywheel Publishing contributor since 2022. Writing for 24/7 Wall St. since 2023, David loves to write about topics of all shapes and sizes. As a technology expert, David focuses heavily on consumer electronics brands, automobiles, and general technology. He has previously written for LifeWire, formerly About.com. As a part-time freelance writer, David’s “day job” has been working on and leading social media for multiple Fortune 100 brands. David loves the flexibility of this field and its ability to reach customers exactly where they like to spend their time. Additionally, David previously published his own blog, TmoNews.com, which reached 3 million readers in its first year. In addition to freelance and social media work, David loves to spend time with his family and children and relive the glory days of video game consoles by playing any retro game console he can get his hands on.
