Blog
menu_book Blog Login
A austin · 2026-11-11

SCHD or VTI for a Child's Account? The Bigger Dividend Isn't the Bigger Pot

SCHD pays 2.9% against VTI's 1.1%, yet since October 2011 each unit invested became 7.702 in VTI and 6.923 in SCHD. Over the last five years the two...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-11-09

A Utility Dividend Check: Southern and Duke Spent More on Capex Than Operations Brought In

Southern and Duke each spent more on capex than operations brought in over nine months, and both still paid dividends. Trailing yields for the US names sit...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-11-03

The 15% the US Takes From Your Dividends, and When You Get It Back

When a US company pays you a dividend, the US government keeps 15% of it first. Whether you ever see that 15% again depends on one thing: which account the...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-10-30

Is AI Spending Too Much? What Alphabet and Microsoft's Filings Can and Can't Say

Alphabet's capex rose from $32.3B in FY2023 to $91.4B in FY2025, and Microsoft's reached $115.9B in FY2026. Over five years, NVDA returned 746.1% with...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-10-27

OVL vs SPY: The Bigger Cheque Is Real, but the Lead Comes From Reinvesting It

OVL's trailing yield is 8.4% against 1.0% for SPY, yet price only, SPY gained 161.0% since October 2019 and OVL gained 128.6%. With distributions reinvested...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-10-23

NextDC Fell 44% on a Delay. Here's What It Teaches Data Center REIT Dividend Investors

NextDC fell 44% on a profit warning, erasing A$3.1 billion in market value, after power grid delays at its M3 facility. Over five years, Digital Realty...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-10-19

Earnings Week and Covered Call ETFs: What QQQI and JEPQ Give Up for the Income

Since January 30, 2024, QQQI's price rose just 7.6% and JEPQ's 13.2%, while QQQ's rose 66.9%. With distributions reinvested, QQQI returned 57.3% and JEPQ...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-10-19

NVDA Won Five Years. Energy Won the Last Twelve Months. Own Both by Rule.

Over the past year, XLE returned 64.6% and CVX returned 54.1% with distributions reinvested, while NVDA returned 18.1%. Over five years the picture flips:...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-10-12

Five Years of REITs: US Fund Barely Positive, Canadian Fund Still Underwater

Over five years to October 9, 2026, VNQ, the US REIT fund, returned 5.4% with distributions reinvested, while Canada's XRE.TO lost 3.9%. On price alone the...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-10-08

Dividend ETFs Didn't Struggle, They Just Trailed the Broad Market by a Wide Margin

Your dividend funds didn't struggle, they trailed the broad market: SPY returned 89.0% with distributions reinvested, against 72.4% for VYM and 56.4% for...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-10-07

QYLD Paid 11.4% a Year and Still Lost to QQQ by 61 Percentage Points

QYLD yields 11.4% on a trailing 12-month basis, yet over five years its price fell 16.6% while QQQ's rose 109.3%. With distributions reinvested, QQQ...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-08-11

Canada's Office REITs Haven't Recovered. That Story Is Still Live

A similar version of this story played out in the US earlier this year. BXP and SLG, two prominent US office REITs, sold off sharply, then both recovered,...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-06-22

Your "Diversified" Index Fund Is More Concentrated Than You Think

SPY is the default answer to "I want diversified exposure." Five hundred companies, one ticker. The problem is that diversified and equal are not the same...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-06-15

That 11% Yield From STRC Isn't What It Looks Like

An 11% yield on a preferred share looks like an income investment. The label says preferred stock. The distributions arrive regularly. It sits in the same...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-06-12

You Don't Have to Choose Between Income and Growth

Most covered call ETF discussions stop at the yield number. That framing misses what QQQI and JEPQ have actually delivered over the past year.
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-06-08

Why Markets Sold Off on Friday

Friday's selloff was a straightforward reaction to the May jobs report. The US economy added 172,000 jobs last month. Unemployment held steady at 4.3%. Both...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-06-05

CVX vs. ENB: Two Energy Dividends, Two Very Different Bets

Oil has climbed sharply since early 2026 on sustained geopolitical pressure. Chevron and Enbridge both show up in energy income portfolios. But they make...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-06-01

The Case for Canadian Pipelines: Why Midstream Is the Quiet Core of an Income Portfolio

While markets chase AI optimism and commodity price swings, Canadian pipeline infrastructure keeps collecting tolls. Here is why midstream deserves a closer...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-05-30

The May Rally Feels Good. Your REIT Portfolio Still Has a Problem.

Equity markets have pushed to record highs over the past few weeks. For income investors holding REITs, that feels reassuring. It probably should not.
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-05-25

That 12% Yield Isn't Paying You What You Think

JEPI yields around 8 to 10%. SPYI and QQQI push 12 to 14%. SCHD sits at 3.3 to 3.5%. If you compare those numbers side by side, the covered call ETFs win...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-05-18

Pairing Healthcare Covered Call ETFs with Tech Growth Stocks

A hybrid portfolio doesn't mean splitting the difference between income and growth. It means owning each sector in the structure that suits it best....
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-05-12

The Quiet Performer: Why Canadian Industrial REITs Deserve a Second Look

Canadian industrial REITs closely tracked the S&P 500 through the digital transformation boom during COVID, and then got left behind when mega-cap tech...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-05-07

Balancing Tech Growth with Income: The Income Anchor Strategy

For the income-focused investor, the promise of the AI revolution presents a classic dilemma: how to capture the explosive growth of tech giants like NVIDIA...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-05-04

The Yield Number That's Lying to You

If you've held QYLD, the trailing 12-month yield of 11.5% looks compelling. The total return over that same period tells a materially different story....
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2026-05-02

The Market Is Panicking. Your Covered Call ETF Is Quietly Getting Paid. Or Is It?

Most investors see high volatility in the stock market and a barrel of Brent crude at $108 and they want out. That reaction is understandable, and it may be...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2024-11-22

Exploring the Harvest Covered Call ETFs

Harvest covered call ETFs offer high yields (7-9%) but often underperform conventional ETFs in strong bull markets due to capped upside potential. Sectors...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2024-11-09

Comparing Canadian REITs: Allied Properties, RioCan, and Granite

Allied Properties, RioCan, and Granite REIT represent different sectors within Canadian real estate, each facing unique challenges and advantages. Allied,...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2024-11-01

Analysis of Hamilton Covered Call ETFs

Income Focus: Hamilton’s covered call ETFs aim for high income through writing call options, appealing to income-focused investors, but limit growth...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2024-10-25

Building a High-Yield Portfolio with Balance in Sectors and Risk

Income-Focused Strategy: Aims for high dividend yields averaging around 7-8%, with a mix of real estate, energy, and defensive sectors. Diversification &...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2024-10-21

Evaluating Global X Covered Call ETFs

Covered call ETFs provide high income through option writing but limit upside in strong bull markets. When comparing Global X covered call ETFs (e.g., ENCC,...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2024-10-14

Exploring a Modified 60:40 Strategy with Covered Call ETFs

Covered Call ETFs: Combining sector-specific covered call ETFs can offer high yields and competitive returns compared to traditional market benchmarks. Risk...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2024-10-04

High-Yield ETFs and Split Share Corporations in the Canadian Banking Sector

Several high-yield ETFs and split share corps provide exposure to the Canadian banking sector while providing high income. ZWB and BKCC underperformed over...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2024-09-29

Designing a Defensive Stock Portfolio with Utilities, Oil & Gas, and Blue-Chip Stocks

Create a defensive stock portfolio with a focus on utilities, oil & gas, and blue-chip stocks. Selected stocks include ENB.TO, CJ.TO, and BCE.TO,...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2024-09-20

Investing in REITs - creating your REIT portfolio vs. REIT ETF?

Potential for high dividends and tax benefits: Individual REIT stocks can provide higher yields (if selected correctly) and more favorable tax treatment on...
Read more arrow_forward
A austin · 2024-09-13

Understanding covered call ETFs

Not all covered call ETFs perform equally. Evaluating performance can be done by comparing stock price returns to index funds. Covered call ETFs can be a...
Read more arrow_forward