There has been plenty of interest in the specialty (or premium) income ETF scene lately. And it’s not a mystery as to why, with the Federal Reserve starting a new rate-cutting cycle while yields become a bit harder to find as the broad stock market rallies to fresh, new all-time highs.

Indeed, the window of opportunity to snag higher yields at lower valuations has mostly closed. And while there are still some great dividend deals out there, the appetite for even higher yielders (think more than 10%) has stayed elevated for some income-oriented investors who want a way to maximize their yield, even if it entails a greater deal of uncertainty.

Key Points

• The SPYI and QQQI are great income ETFs, but investors should expect the yield to vary based on options market dynamics.
• Investors should ask their wealth planners how such investments can bolster their passive income stream.
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The impressive yields of the SPYI and QQQI have to be enticing to passive income investors, especially as risk-free and risky yields fall

Of course, premium income ETFs don’t offer passive income investors any sort of free lunch. At the end of the day, cranking up the potential on return (or yield) tends to also entail a trade-off, either in the form of more downside risk or less upside potential. When it comes to the SPYI, QQQI, and ETFs like it, there’s yield volatility and limited upside to be aware of relative to the S&P 500 or Nasdaq 100.

When it comes to yield, more elevated yields, especially when the sale of covered calls or call spread strategies are considered (the active managers incorporate a “data-driven” call option strategy to achieve the ETF’s towering yield), tend to be on less stable footing, especially given the uncertainties regarding options premiums at any given point in time. That means a 14% yield could be several percentage points lower or higher in just a few weeks’ time.

Understandably, some environments tend to entail much heftier option premiums, while others may offer premiums that are incredibly slim, perhaps too slim to justify writing a covered call. In any case, investors should understand the trade-offs that come with their favorite high-yield ETFs.

What are the trade-offs to understand before punching a ticket to either the SPYI or QQQI at current levels?

As to whether the yields are too good to be true is the giant question mark that nobody has the answer to. Indeed, it all depends on market dynamics, which, at the end of the day, is impossible to forecast unless you have a superpower that enables you to see the future. If 2026 is another upbeat year that rhymes with 2025, the SPYI and QQQI yields, in my view, will hold up. In any case, there’s some degree of uncertainty that investors will need to be comfortable with.

When it comes to theNeos S&P 500 High Income ETF(SPYI) and its Nasdaq 100-focused peer, theNeos Nasdaq 100 High Income ETF(QQQI), which offer yields of 11.89% and 13.91%, respectively, at the time of this writing, there are trade-offs that investors should bring up with their personal financial planners.

As a primary source of income, the SPYI and QQQI might have too much yield volatility to be viewed as core holdings in an income portfolio. However, as a supplement or “income booster,” I view the two ETFs as potentially invaluable tools when used correctly.

Indeed, shares of both ETFs, though relatively young after going live on the public markets for just a few years, aren’t rallying like the S&P 500 or Nasdaq 100 have been doing in recent years. Much of the return has been pushed to the yield. That’s to be expected from ETFs that have an active covered call writing strategy, though.

The big question is what happens when options premiums fall, perhaps due to a sell-off in the broad markets?

If you’re comfortable settling for a lower yield in a bear-case environment and can utilize the tax advantages (the 60/40 Tax Treatment that investors should discuss with their advisers), the SPYI and QQQI look intriguing for seeking a more bountiful, tactical investment.

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