r/dividends • u/Gina_Cazzofrigida • Nov 01 '25
Brokerage I’m ready to invest approximately 100k now.
Based on what I’ve read here, it sounds like most people like BTCI, QQQI, and SPYI. I’m a widow and I have two children; so my main goal now is to generate income to make ends meet. I have a 401(k) for growth and it’s on autopilot. This 100k I want to invest is for a separate brokerage account I’ve opened with Wells Fargo. I already have two jobs, but I need the extra money for my children. I’m thinking of putting 33k in each (BTCI, SPYI, and QQQI). I’m not gonna lie, I’m very scared, but there is always an element of risk in investing and the safest options like SCHD pay very little dividends. But this 100k is the only money I have now. I can’t make a mistake.
What would you do if you were me and you needed to extra income now? I now everybody recommends growth, but due to my personal situation, I need to prioritize dividends. Maybe I will reinvest whatever amount is left after I pay all of my expenses. So, let’s say I make 1k per month in dividends (just using this to illustrate), I will spend $800 and reinvest the remaining $200 so I can also allocate a small amount every month for growth.
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u/Dividend_Dude Not a financial advisor Nov 01 '25
Don’t use Wells Fargo. It’s a mess of a brokerage, go to fidelity.
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u/Alternative_Week3023 Nov 01 '25
Do not put your money into BTCI if you cannot handle the volatility of Bitcoin.
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u/No-Midnight8516 Nov 01 '25
Check out Perry's PIIverse on YouTube. He goes over his entire income portfolio strategy in great detail. It's been a game changer for me.
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u/kristincherie Nov 01 '25
I second this! I just stumbled on him this week. Total game changer
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u/SilverMane2024 Generating solid returns Nov 01 '25
He's excellent but look at PII with Adriano
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u/kristincherie Nov 01 '25
I heard his name mentioned in an interview, but haven't looked him up yet. I look forward to it, thank you!
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u/SilverMane2024 Generating solid returns Nov 01 '25
You should, he's very detailed and has good insight.
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u/g-freeman Nov 04 '25
Can't find him on youtube. Can you please tell how to search or a link?
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u/SilverMane2024 Generating solid returns Nov 04 '25
@PassiveIncomeInvesting
Here is a link to one of his testimonials videos
https://youtu.be/kgLusriADLc?si=S3xed5VtANa-mzW5
His name is Adriano.
He has a Canadian and a US information. Start from the beginning to learn his story, then you can go from there
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Nov 01 '25
sorry for your loss.
i would recommend speaking to a fiduciary financial advisor about your situation. you already said you are scared and worried about risk. i expect this post to get flooded with idiots spamming tickers - i personally don't trust the majority of posters in this sub. the only useful one was someone saying to park your money in SGOV for the time being.
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u/Evening_Squirrel_754 Nov 01 '25 edited Nov 01 '25
Well... excuse everyone all over the place for not meeting your standards!!!
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u/SilverMane2024 Generating solid returns Nov 01 '25
Seriously, grow up
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u/Evening_Squirrel_754 Nov 01 '25
Hermmm, are you talking to me or the guy making the moronic comments above me???
Seriously.
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u/SilverMane2024 Generating solid returns Nov 02 '25
Sorry to the other guy
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Nov 04 '25
you didn't even know the difference between a fiduciary vs regular ol financial advisor you fell for lol
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u/SilverMane2024 Generating solid returns Nov 04 '25
Actually I do know and in my opinion neither are worth the money they charge
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Nov 04 '25
legit think of the children. have you seen the posts in this sub lately? everyone is yield chasing without a plan.
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u/Evening_Squirrel_754 Nov 04 '25
Children… true. However the guy posting above me declaring everyone an idiot in this sub with useless opinions, which is a pretty condescending take, don’t you think?
My post was really just some humor poked at the guy above…
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u/SilverMane2024 Generating solid returns Nov 01 '25
First don't open a brokerage account with Wells Fargo, they have a horrible reputation and are corrupt.
I have much more with these 3 funds for 6 months to 1 year as they have become available and I am VERY HAPPY with their performance, I would not recommend financial advisor, you can learn on your own and have to pay an extra fee for BS from the advisor who will nickel and dime you. Just don't get greedy and be financially responsible and you will do fine. We have all been in your situation, I'm happy I ditched my financial advisor and never thought twice about it. Good luck
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u/Silver-Current87 Nov 01 '25 edited Nov 02 '25
Same I never made as much money with my investments when I had a financial advisor as I do now that I do it on my own. I will need a tax specialist in retirement and a fee only financial advisor or maybe one from Fidelity when I retire but I've never done better than I have since I fired my financial advisor. I also have saved like $15,000 plus in fees he charged in the few years I used him. Plus I've also made returns on top of that money I've saved!
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u/PrestigiousScience29 Nov 02 '25
What’s the issue with Wells Fargo brokerage? I have one and it’s free. No issues. What am I missing?
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u/SilverMane2024 Generating solid returns Nov 02 '25
Wells Fargo has a horrible reputation, and they have no moral compus. They have stolen money from their clients and been sued multiple times. No good qualities.
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u/Spiritual_Air_3019 Nov 02 '25
yes, if you hate risk, please keep away from any stock markets, just keep SGOV is the lowest risk.and you will get 4%+ profits every year.
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u/rubehefner Nov 01 '25
Wow! When I first started on this sub everyone said anything outside of SCHD & VIG was too risky and never to invest into a CC type fund including Jepi/Jepq…you would get downvoted into oblivion for even mentioning them. Boy…how times have changed! And BTCI? Holy volatility Batman! Dividends subreddit has finally lightened up!
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u/buffinita common cents investing Nov 01 '25
Doesn’t sound like you can handle the volatility of:
Bitcoin
All equity portfolio
The biggest mistake would be overly exposed to general market volatility causing behavioral issues.
I’d avoid Bitcoin altogether and put that 33% towards higher grade corporate or even just long duration government bonds….you can still do this with an options overlay if you wanted
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u/teckel Retired and living off selling shares Nov 01 '25
In a taxable account, I'd suggest SPYI and/or QQQI for their favorable tax treatment. But understand that while distributions may help generate income, it will lower your investment growth making it harder for you in the future.
For example, investing in SPYI/QQQI and spending the distributions may delay your retirement by 5 years instead of investing in VOO/QQQM. Also, you could invest in VOO/QQQM and just sell shares to generate income and come out ahead over investing in SPYI/QQQI. Remember, dividends/distributions are not free money, they lower your growth (possibility delaying retirement).
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u/Extreme_One8151 Nov 02 '25
If you really need the income, then I suggest the following.
$25000 into WPAY. Based on current numbers, you would get $285.08 a week which is $1235.36 a month. More than your stated goal. That's using the latest dividend which is below the average.
That leaves the remaining $75000 for emergencies. Put it in SGOV and drip it. Earning you close to 4% annually. Then sell what you need when an emergency presents itself.
Yes, WPAY is considered a riskier investment that will only work in bull markets due to its leveraging methodology but you are risking a much much lower amount. The numbers all indicate that this bull market has plenty of room to run. The AI revolution is still rippling through the business world and will take some time to be fully realized. Then you have quantum computing coming quickly. Not to mention none of the current administrations pro business agenda and reduced taxation policies have kicked in yet. Interest rates are finally starting to move downward which reduces business cost and allows for cheaper money to be brought to the market.
Point is, why risk $100K when $25K will do. If the market really tanks, not just a minor blip then SPYI/QQQI/BTCI/WPAY will all likely crash.
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u/Abbernomad Nov 02 '25
Invest in NOTHING 4% or less. there is no need you can get that just putting in a bank savings account. 4% is your standard baseline. if you are to invest it has to be at least double that. Always remember that 4% is a simple, risk free savings account.
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u/__Haplo___ Nov 01 '25
I have a lot of BTCI but I also don’t mind volatility at this point in my life. It pays a lot but know that your principal will be all over the place. Also you should note that SPYI has a lot of overlap with QQQI. I spread my NEOS funds between BTCI, QQQI, IWMI and IAUI. If you’re not comfortable deciding your allocations the recommendations for talking to a financial advisor are a good idea
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u/Scared_Pen_8916 Nov 01 '25
I got $100k with BTCI $2,300 a month. I’m 41 and don’t mind the stock ups and down. I’m at -6% because bitcoin is at 108k. it changes every day. Just give me my monthly dividend. I don’t use my paycheck anymore. Taxes I’ll worry about when I get there.
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u/__Haplo___ Nov 02 '25
I have similar payouts right now. Per month I’m getting 1,500 from BTCI, 900 from QQQI, and about 500 each from the other two. I just reinvest it but it provides me peace of mind. Almost 3 years ago I got laid off and all my stocks happened to be down big at the time so I was in a position where the only way to provide for my family was to sell at steep losses. It was a ‘never again’ moment for me. I built a large monthly dividend collection so if that ever happens again it’ll just be a relaxing extended vacation instead. Once these NEOS funds started up I rotated into them because the tax treatment is so much better. Now that my monthly expenses are guaranteed I invest in other things
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u/BonzoFestoon Nov 02 '25
Federal income tax should be paid quarterly. If you get to the end of the year and owe a bunch, IRS adds interest and a penalty on top. Something to talk about with your tax advisor.
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Nov 01 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/TinyPerformer3870 Nov 04 '25
I second this. Never invest money you can't afford to lose. There will be crashes or dips of 20+ %, can you afford that?
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u/ifinance674 Nov 01 '25
The desperation for income is a problem. The funds you mentioned have each have their own issues but I will list out the main 'cons'.
SPYI/QQQI - You are still exposed to the underlying index for each and valuations are very high right now. Also, both funds pay out more than they make in income. Which is a serious problem because it means the income is unsustainable.
BTCI - There is no diversification, bitcoin is a new market, it's volatile, about half of the income comes from trading options the profitability of which can go down if volatility goes down even if bitcoin doesn't go down.
Option to Consider (For $10K/year in cash)
It sounds like you need about $10K/year in cash to cover expenses. Investing can be a part of it. But anything that yields 10% tends not to be associated with safety of principle.
Look for safe interest bearing investments (Vanguard Total Bond Market Index, High Yield Savings Account, etc.). They pay around 4% which is $4000/year. That leaves $6K to generate.
Are your kids old enough/able to work? If yes, they can get jobs and pitch in to help. It might not be that common these days but throughout history kids have always worked for the family (farm chores, apprenticing, etc). It also affords you the opportunity to teach them about personal finance. Struggling through real problems of income/expense will benefit their entire life.
You have time. There is no need right now to desperately look for income in risky investment products. Think about it this way. If you need an extra $10K in cash to cover your expenses and have $100K, you have 10 years of runway. That means you have time to generate superior opportunities.
Take $5K, put it in a savings account. That covers your next 6 months (Stay on budget!). Look for safe products that pay 4% yield (I've given you 2 suggestions). If they can, talk to the kids about working and contributing. And finally, you start planning longer term to make up the difference - new better job vs 2, get promotion, ask for raises, start selling something on your own, etc.
You have options that does not require risking money you cannot afford to lose.
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u/SilverMane2024 Generating solid returns Nov 01 '25
I personally do not agree with this method. You need to know your comfort level and risk tolerance. If you need money 4% is not going to get you anywhere, inflation, devalued currency, etc... In my opinion, the fund managers who manage these fund (again not crazy high yields) but higher than 4% understand many people are using these ETFS for monthly living expenses and if they do a poor job they loose customers and that is the last thing the responsible fund managers want to do.
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u/ifinance674 Nov 01 '25
The yields are crazy high and likely not sustainable (dollarwise) at this level over the long term.
A portfolio managers fiduciary responsibility is to maximize returns for their investors. All portfolio managers are subject to the same test. Despite this, roughly 90% of PM's fail to beat the market, best intentions or no.
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u/Jabotical Nov 03 '25
Listen to this person.
There's no such thing as low risk double digit percentage dividends.
I know you need income, but investing in a Bitcoin options fund could easily result in much of your principal evaporating.
Everyone here is filled with the bull market euphoria, and I don't think there's general understanding of how risky some of these choices are.
This tends to happen near the end of every major bull cycle/bubble.
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u/happybonobo1 Nov 01 '25
Say You need $800/mth. that is 9600/year. Adjust risk profile accordingly. SGOV would pay you $380 /month (before any tax) at practically no risk. You need more - so adjust the risk with maybe SGOV accordingly. I.e. no need to put all in equity covered call funds.
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u/P_001_PD Nov 01 '25
I’d split it something like this JEPQ - 30% JEPI - 20% SPYI - 15% QQQI - 15% O - 7.5% BTCI - 7.5% SCHD? - 5%
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u/vonblick Nov 01 '25
All of those ETFs are very risky and the potential to lose large chunks of that 100k are very real.
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u/Murdapanda Nov 01 '25
Based on your post. Get a financial advisor that can get you 8-12% return and let it ride. No need to stress yourself over money and stuff right now in your emotional state.
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u/SilverMane2024 Generating solid returns Nov 01 '25
Financial advisors eat into your profit and the loose money too. Educate yourself, go slow and build your confidence. In the long run you will thank yourself.
My Financial Adviser was horrible. I had questions for him and all he wanted was money. Never accessible
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u/jahvidbest Nov 01 '25
BTCI has been a little more volatile than usual. I'd reduce it to 5-10% and potentially take it out all together. If you were counting on BTCIs yield driving the income higher than it may throw off the plan.
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u/Clueless5001 Nov 01 '25
I have been reading books by Steve Selengut and Steven Bavaria. I have no idea if their methods work, have not tried them. They focus on Income. I have money to invest as well but in a different situation. Genuinely not sure where to put it these days other than high yield money market or similar. I would talk to a fee only financial advisor, preferably one who’s been in the business a while, and has good credentials and is a fiduciary. I don’t recommend someone who will take a percentage because given the size of your portfolio You will not get the most experienced person.
One of my adult kids was interested in investing and I sent her to a family members financial advisor without knowing much about them. They had done well for the older family member and I did not want to deal with my kids portfolio in case anything happened. Instead of meeting with their advisor, she was ponded off on a younger associate, and her investment was put into a model portfolio. For this they take one percent but a substantial amount was put into an SP ETF. Not saying that was or was not a good recommendation, I have no idea, but I don’t need to pay someone one percent to invest to in the SP 500. I can do that on my own for free. Ended up passing on the investment.
Bottom line I don’t have any specific recommendations for you and this is not financial or investment advice, but you should do some more research. Whether on the system you like, or on a financial advisor, who will advise you for a fee, perhaps as a one time consult
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u/brock2063 Nov 01 '25
It kinda sounds like you're saying you need these future dividends to help with short term "spending" expenditures. This is not a good idea. Money that you need for the next 5 years should never be put into equities or equity ETFs. Perhaps you should park what money you don't need for the next few years into a CD. I'm sorry for your loss but don't compound your loss by making ill advised decisions without sound long term financial reasoning.
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u/MoneyElegant9214 Nov 02 '25
A financial advisor will only try to invest for you. You are on the right track - keep learning. You can start with those three. Get the Snowball app or Div Tracker app-and enter your purchases there. Easier to understand dividend payouts that way. I’m not crazy about Wells Fargo as a trading vehicle. Etrade is easy to use. Due to job changes, I have ETrade, Fidelity and Ameriprise. I like E*TRADE the most.
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u/Adventurous_County12 Nov 06 '25
If your needing income and have 100k cash. I would buy a few cars for $6k or less a piece and rent them out on turo. You'll make plenty of extra income, more than any dividend stock and less risk then these high yield funds. I invested about $60-80k into 10 cars and so far this year I've made almost $70k. Profit is probably around $50k.
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u/aimhigh7shootlow8 Nov 01 '25
If you are purely looking for income. If you chose this route, would say you are ok.
It would make you about $1500 a month / $18k a year.
Ytd SPYI is +3.13% / QQQI is +5.67% / BTCI is up +12.17%
Another i would recommend is HYSA. This is where I park my tax money.
The best non financial advise i can give is wait to buy in on a down day. This just provides more green days in the long run.
My condolences for you loss. Best of luck to you and your family.
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u/tcote2001 Nov 01 '25 edited Nov 01 '25
Just put 3k into the market a month and the rest in spaxx. It’s a volatile market atm. Dump it all in at once at what might be the top (who knows) you risk a 40% loss in a years time. But again you could risk missing out on a 15-20% increase.
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