Retirement on $500k? These 3 Ultra-High-Yield ETFs Make It Possible
- - Retirement on $500k? These 3 Ultra-High-Yield ETFs Make It Possible
Omor Ibne EhsanNovember 11, 2025 at 4:48 PM
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If you're planning to retire or you're already retired, it can be tough to gauge just how much you will need over the course of your retirement. SonicShares Global Shipping ETF (NYSEARCA:BOAT), NEOS Russell 2000 High Income ETF (BATS:IWMI), and Invesco Agriculture Commodity Strategy No K-1 ETF (NASDAQ:PDBA) can be great exchange-traded funds to hold if you need a higher yield and more income.
Very few have the ideal amount needed to maintain a comfortable lifestyle while being retired. Advisors say you need 70-80% of your pre-retirement income as a rule of thumb before you retire. Let's say you make $40,000 per year after tax. If your portfolio gets you a 3% yield, you need $1 million to earn $30,000 a year. Very few retirees have that amount.
The inflation spike since 2022 has given retirees a taste of how quickly prices can rise. Many are already in a pinch, and their retirement portfolios don't generate enough income to make up for inflation. As such, putting some money aside into higher-yield ETFs is not a bad idea.
If your portfolio is $500k, a 3% yield will get you $15,000. But if you put aside a quarter of that into some ETFs with an average yield of 10%, you will get $23,750. That's how powerful high yield can be.
Of course, this is riskier, but if you are nearing the end of your retirement or you're in a pinch, it's one of the safer ways to squeeze the most out of your money.
SonicShares Global Shipping ETF (BOAT)
The SonicShares Global Shipping ETF is an indexed ETF that gives you pure-play exposure to the global maritime shipping industry. It tracks the Solactive Global Shipping Index and invests in global shipping companies. These companies transport industrial products, vehicles, dry bulk, crude oil, and liquefied natural gas.
90% of world trade is carried by sea. Vital shipping companies have more and more pricing power as chokepoints in global trade routes have turned more volatile. Not only that, but sanctions since 2022 have even rerouted how energy moves. Ships carrying LNG and crude oil from North America and the Middle East are making up for the energy that no longer flows through Russian pipelines.
All of this is increasing shipping demand, and this demand is unlikely to slow down anytime soon. This ETF is rather under-the-radar, but it has been very reliable. It comes with a 13.18% dividend yield and pays quarterly. The expense ratio is moderate at 0.69%, or $69 per $10,000.
NEOS Russell 2000 High Income ETF (IWMI)
The NEOS Russell 2000 High Income ETF is a monthly dividend ETF that uses a novel strategy that is gaining lots of popularity. This ETF invests in small-cap U.S. companies that are constituents of the Russell 2000 Index and simultaneously uses an options strategy to boost income.
IWMI's covered call strategy involves selling out-of-the-money call options on the Russell 2000 Index holdings. This approach generates income from option premiums while maintaining exposure to small-cap equities. The fund is structured as a fund-of-funds, meaning it invests in other ETFs that track Russell 2000 constituents rather than holding individual stocks directly.
A notable tax advantage is that roughly 88% of recent distributions have been classified as return of capital, which can provide tax-efficient income for investors.
You get a 14.36% yield at an expense ratio of 0.68%, or $68 per $10,000.
Invesco Agriculture Commodity Strategy No K-1 ETF (PDBA)
The Invesco Agriculture Commodity Strategy No K-1 ETF is another lesser-known ETF that gives you a good dividend yield and has been quite stable.
It gives you exposure to agricultural commodities without the tax complexity of traditional commodity funds. Agricultural commodities can be a great inflation hedge when food prices increase.
PDBA invests indirectly in agricultural commodity futures contracts through a subsidiary structure, rather than holding physical commodities. This approach allows investors to gain exposure to 11 different agricultural commodities like grains (corn, wheat, soybeans), soft commodities (sugar, cocoa, coffee, cotton), and livestock (live cattle, feeder cattle, lean hogs).
PDBA gets you a 13.14% dividend yield with an expense ratio of 0.75%, or $75 per $10,000. It pays annually.
Source: “AOL Money”
