Introduction: The Rise of Earnings-Centered Choice ETFs

In a yield-starved market, income-seeking buyers have gravitated towards option-based ETFs—funds that mix underlying exposures (equities, crypto, and so forth.) with spinoff overlays (usually writing or promoting lined name choices) to ship month-to-month or common distributions. NEOs ETF (NEOS Investments’ suite) , YieldMax ETFs are two competing excessive yield etfs on this evolving nook of the revenue ETF panorama.

Whereas the revenue potential is alluring, the mechanics, threat tradeoffs, and tax penalties differ considerably. On this article, we:

Evaluate NEOs ETF methods with YieldMax ETFs,

Break down three flagship NEOs ETFs (SPYI, QQQI, BTCI),

Study their efficiency, yield, threat, and preferrred use instances

NEOs ETF vs YieldMax ETFs: Strategic Variations

What Are YieldMax ETFs?

YieldMax ETFs are constructed round artificial or derivative-based exposures to high-volatility property (e.g., Tesla, MicroStrategy, Coinbase) and generate revenue by systematically writing name choices. As InvestmentU notes, “YieldMax ETFs don’t personal the underlying shares instantly. As a substitute, they use derivatives to simulate lengthy publicity … then generate revenue by systematically promoting name choices.” Funding U

These funds usually tout extraordinarily excessive yields—however these include elevated threat of NAV erosion, particularly when the underlying asset worth shifts adversely. *InvestmentU’s “YieldMax ETFs and Alternate options” article illustrates how spectacular returns come at the price of focus and volatility. Funding U

What Are NEOs ETFs?

In distinction, the NEOs ETF household from NEOS Investments tends to pair broader benchmarks or crypto exposures (like S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, Bitcoin) with possibility methods to reap premium and supply month-to-month revenue. Due to the broader base, the volatility and idiosyncratic focus threat will be decrease (relative to single-stock exposures) — although the spinoff overlay nonetheless provides complexity.

Head-to-Head: YieldMax vs NEOs ETF

Function
NEOs ETF
YieldMax ETFs

Underlying publicity
Broad indices (S&P 500, Nasdaq-100), Bitcoin, and so forth.
Narrower, usually single shares or crypto proxies

Earnings technology technique
Choice overlays + fairness/crypto publicity
Spinoff (artificial) publicity + aggressive possibility writing

Yield potential
Excessive, however tempered by diversification
Extraordinarily excessive yields usually (however larger threat of capital return)

Threat profile
Volatility, spinoff threat, capped upside
Very excessive volatility, NAV erosion threat, focus threat

Tax / distribution classification
Many distributions as Return of Capital (ROC) lowering price foundation
Comparable ROC / capital erosion points

Historic observe file
Reasonably established for some (e.g. SPYI)
Newer, much less predictable in excessive market shifts

One warning usually flagged by trade voices (and echoed in ETF commentary) is that yields vastly exceeding what the underlying markets can usually help could also be unsustainable — in impact, the fund may very well be returning capital simply to fulfill distribution guarantees.

Though each methods provide revenue, yield-chasing with out consideration to threat and sustainability can backfire.

SPYI: NEOs S&P 500 Excessive Earnings ETF

What Is SPYI?

SPYI is NEOS’s flagship “excessive revenue” ETF constructed on the S&P 500 index + an possibility overlay (principally lined calls) to generate month-to-month revenue.

Efficiency & Yield

Since its launch (August 2022), SPYI’s NAV-based annualized return has hovered round ~14.08% (as of August 2025).

Market worth returns are related, indicating modest premium/low cost inversion results.

Its distribution yield is enticing in comparison with conventional fairness revenue funds, although a big share of distributions could also be labeled as Return of Capital (ROC), which erodes price foundation.

Strengths & Dangers

Strengths: Broad U.S. fairness publicity with revenue overlay; much less focus threat than area of interest or single-stock revenue methods; established sufficient to point out some observe file.

Dangers: 1. Capped upside in robust bull markets (possibility writing sacrifices some positive aspects). 2. ROC-heavy distributions complicate tax planning and scale back price foundation over time. 3. In extreme drawdowns, possibility premiums might not provide full safety. 4. Liquidity and bid-ask spreads might add execution threat.

Learn Subsequent: 5 Month-to-month Dividend ETFs for Earnings Portfolios

QQQI: NEOs Nasdaq-100 Excessive Earnings ETF

What Is QQQI?

QQQI gives publicity to the Nasdaq-100 index plus possibility overlays, concentrating on larger yield and revenue by leveraging the tech/development tilt of Nasdaq.

Efficiency & Yield

Launched extra lately (January 2024), its shorter observe file exhibits stronger nominal returns versus SPYI in lots of comparability intervals.

For example, in mid-2025, QQQI’s YTD efficiency outpaced SPYI in lots of metrics, although at the price of larger volatility and drawdowns.

Volatility metrics present QQQI usually has larger customary deviation and deeper most drawdowns than SPYI (e.g. ~−20% vs ~−16%) in noticed intervals.

Strengths & Dangers

Strengths: Greater revenue potential (on account of volatility of underlying); extra upside seize in sure tech rallies (regardless of possibility drag).

Dangers: Extra concentrated sector threat (tech-heavy publicity); possibility overlay might clip aggressive upside positive aspects; newer historical past means much less stress-tested; identical ROC / tax points as SPYI.

BTCI: NEOs Bitcoin Excessive Earnings ETF

What Is BTCI?

BTCI is NEOS’s enterprise into crypto: it offers publicity to Bitcoin (through ETPs / crypto proxies) and overlays possibility methods on that publicity to generate month-to-month revenue.

Efficiency & Yield

Launched in October 2024.

As of August 2025: - Its distribution fee (primarily based on the newest payout) has approached ~28%. - Cumulative returns since inception have been strong (≈ +49.5% in NAV phrases in that span). - Its market worth has typically traded close to NAV, with small premiums/reductions (~0.10%).

Nevertheless, a big portion of distributions are estimated to be Return of Capital (ROC ~ 95%), considerably affecting tax foundation.

Strengths & Dangers

Strengths: Publicity to crypto upside mixed with revenue overlay, which few different merchandise instantly provide.

Dangers: 1. Bitcoin’s inherent volatility is dramatic—possibility overlay might buffer however received’t get rid of giant swings. 2. Choice overlay on crypto is extra advanced (much less mature derivatives markets, liquidity, correlation mismatches). 3. ROC heavy distributions erode foundation, complicating tax and long-term return. 4. Restricted historic observe file, particularly by means of crypto downturns.

Methods to Suppose About Match: Use Circumstances & Allocation Technique

Diversification & Correlation

SPYI and QQQI have a tendency to maneuver collectively (excessive correlation), so utilizing each provides restricted hedging profit.

BTCI can provide diversification from equities, however at the price of considerably larger volatility.

Yield vs Progress Tradeoff

For income-focused buyers, all three are interesting revenue automobiles—however the revenue comes with trade-offs: capped upside, ROC erosion, and better threat.

In robust bull markets, conventional fairness ETFs might outperform on account of much less drag from possibility overlays.

Tactical Use Circumstances

Earnings sleeve: In a total-return core portfolio, NEOs ETFs might fill the “revenue producing” slot reasonably than the core fairness slot.

Vary-bound / sideways markets: Choice-laden methods are likely to shine when underlying property are neither raging upwards nor crashing.

Tax-efficient allocations: Given heavy ROC distributions, NEOs ETFs could also be higher held in tax-deferred accounts (e.g. IRAs) reasonably than taxable accounts.

YieldMax vs NEOs: When One Could Edge Out the Different

When you’re comfy taking concentrated bets and wish most yield, YieldMax is likely to be alluring—however the threat of capital erosion is actual 

For buyers preferring considerably broader publicity with much less single-stock threat, NEOs ETFs provide a extra balanced publicity to option-based revenue.

Conclusion

NEOs ETF and YieldMax ETFs characterize two taste variants of the rising choices revenue ETF house. The NEOs suite (SPYI, QQQI, BTCI, and so forth) tends to favor broader benchmarks over single-stock focus, which can provide a extra tempered threat profile whereas nonetheless delivering excessive distribution yields. YieldMax ETFs, against this, aggressively lean into yield through concentrated exposures and possibility overlays—however additionally they carry a larger hazard of capital erosion and volatility threat.

If I had been advising you, I’d deal with SPYI, QQQI, and BTCI as instruments inside the “revenue / various” sleeve of a diversified portfolio, not as replacements for core fairness or fixed-income holdings. And I’d lean towards holding them in tax-advantaged accounts to reduce the drag from ROC distributions.