Quick Read
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USOI and SLVO together contribute $1,428 of the $1,807 annual income a $5,000 four-stock portfolio generates at current payout rates.
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USOI's 80% forward yield reflects one outsized monthly coupon; at the trailing 12-month pace, the same $1,250 stake produces only $643.
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Read More: Learn 7 ways to generate income with a $1,000,000+ portfolio (sponsor)
A retireeliving off a fixed portfolio checks one benchmark before anything else: what safe money pays. The 10-year Treasury yield stood at 5.05% on October 15, 2026. Any riskier income vehicle has to clear that bar by a wide margin to be worth the extra risk.
Incomeinvestors who want cash flow well above that level can look at high-yield securities. An even split of $5,000 across four ultra-high-yield names, $1,250 in each, would produce more than $1,500 in annual passive income at current payout rates. This is an unusual group. Three of the four are covered-call exchange-traded notes (ETNs) tied to gold, silver, and crude oil. The fourth is a perpetual preferred stock that pays a dividend every business day. All four carry risks that a Treasury does not.
A $1,250stake in each of these four high-yield names would produce the following annual income. The figures use a forward convention. For the three ETNs, that means the latest monthly distribution annualized. For the preferred, it means its stated 13.00% rate. ETN payouts change from month to month, so treat every figure here as a snapshot.
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Strive Series A Preferred Pays a Dividend Every Business Day
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Stock #4: Strive Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Preferred Stock( NASDAQ:SATA )
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Yield: 13.29% (stated rate of 13.00% applied to the current price)
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Shares for $1,250: 12.78
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Annual Passive Income: ~$166.08
SATAis the preferred equity of Strive, a Dallas company that pairs a Bitcoin(CRYPTO:BTC) treasury strategy with its Strive Asset Management subsidiary, which manages more than $2.7 billion. SATA has paid its dividend every business day since June 16, 2026. Strive CEO Matthew Cole calls it the first U.S.-listed security to do so. Before the switch to daily payments, the 13.00% rate worked out to $1.0833 a month, or $12.9996 a year. With shares at $97.84, buyers lock in a little more than the stated rate.
The highyield comes from the structure. The preferred never matures, the rate is variable, and holders are paid ahead of common shareholders. Earnings coverage is a poor safety test for SATA. Strive posted a third-quarter 2026 non-GAAP net loss of $275 million, or $3.65 per share. That loss was driven by a $234 million fair-value decline in its bitcoin and preferred holdings, and it came alongside $26.2 million in SATA dividends declared. The payout is funded by treasury cash and new stock sales, such as 1,320,000 SATA shares sold at $90.00 for about $109.3 million in net proceeds. On the positive side, Strive reports no debt, no margin requirements, and no encumbered bitcoin. It has more than 15,009 bitcoin plus about $87.6 million in cash. Sustaining the dividend depends on the bitcoin price and on Strive's continued access to capital markets.
ETRACS Gold Shares Covered Call ETN Converts Gold Volatility Into Cash
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Stock #3: ETRACS Gold Shares Covered Call ETN( NASDAQ:GLDI )
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Distribution Rate: 17.06%
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Shares for $1,250: 8.95
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Annual Passive Income: ~$213.27
GLDI, an unsecured note, comes due February 2, 2033. Credit Suisse originally issued it, and UBS now stands behind the ETRACS family. The note tracks an index that holds gold trust shares and theoretically sells monthly call options against them. The option premium passes to holders as a variable monthly coupon, which explains the high payout. The latest distribution of $1.9853 annualizes to $23.8236 per share, compared with a current price of $139.63. The trailing 12-month total was higher, at $38.1812.
A notehas no payout ratio. Safety depends on two things: UBS's credit and the premiums available in the gold options market. Monthly payments in 2026 ranged from $1.5878 in July to $5.5594 in June. In 2022, they fell as low as $0.0341. Selling calls gives up some of gold's upside in exchange for cash today, so part of the payout effectively replaces price gains. The payment records do not break out return of capital, so check the issuer's tax reporting before treating these coupons as pure income.
ETRACS Silver Shares Covered Call ETN Rides Silver's Wider Swings
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Stock #2: ETRACS Silver Shares Covered Call ETN( NASDAQ:SLVO )
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Distribution Rate: 33.43%
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Shares for $1,250: 20.48
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Annual Passive Income: ~$417.91
SLVOuses the same structure on silver. This senior unsecured note comes due April 21, 2033, linked to monthly calls written on a silver trust ETF. Silver swings more than gold, and bigger swings mean higher option premiums. The latest payment of $1.7009, down from $1.8990, annualizes to $20.4108. Trailing 12-month payouts came to $46.2882.
The payoutis unpredictable. In 2026 alone, monthly coupons ranged from $1.3177 in August to $7.9098 in February. In 2022, they dropped to $0.0275. The price fell 7.95% over the past month to $61.05. Investors also take on the issuer's credit risk.
ETRACS Crude Oil Shares Covered Call ETN Posts the Biggest Payout
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Stock #1: ETRACS Crude Oil Shares Covered Call ETN( NASDAQ:USOI )
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Distribution Rate: 80.82%
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Shares for $1,250: 26.82
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Annual Passive Income: ~$1,010.28
USOI isa senior unsecured note issued by UBS and due April 24, 2037. It tracks the Nasdaq WTI Crude Oil FLOWS 106 Index, which theoretically sells monthly calls on shares of a crude oil fund. It also charges an annual investor fee that accrues daily. Crude's sharp moves drive large premiums, and the latest coupon of $3.1386 came in well above the prior $1.7002.
Thatone strong month inflates the forward figure. The annualized $37.6632 compares with a trailing 12-month total of $23.9829. At the trailing pace, the same stake would produce about $643.32. Coupons in 2026 ranged from $0.4265 in January to $7.4743 in April. Meanwhile, the price has risen 51.09% year to date to $46.60. UBS states clearly that these notes "do not guarantee repayment of the investment amount."
Four Positions, One Income Picture
| Name |
Annual Rate |
$5,000 Produces at Current Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Strive Series A Preferred (SATA) |
13.29% |
$166.08 |
| The Gold Covered Call ETRACS (GLDI) |
17.06% |
$213.27 |
| ETRACS Silver Covered Call (SLVO) |
33.43% |
$417.91 |
| The Crude Oil Covered Call ETRACS (USOI) |
80.82% |
$1,010.28 |
| Total |
36.15% |
$1,807.54 |
Combined, these four positions generate $1,807.54 in annual passive income on a $5,000 investment, a blended yield of 36.15%. The crude oil ETN contributes $1,010.28, the silver ETN adds $417.91, the gold ETN brings $213.27, and Strive's preferred rounds out the group with $166.08. That total clears the $1,500 target with room to spare, but the ETN coupons are variable and could fall back toward their trailing levels.
All fourpositions trade on Nasdaq, so an income investor can trim, adjust, or exit any of them on any trading day. A rental property or private loan offers no such flexibility. When one commodity's option premiums dry up, investors can quickly move money elsewhere, and that ability to adjust is worth as much as the income itself.
Learn 7 Ways To Generate Income With A $1,000,000+ Portfolio
If you've saved over $1,000,000, this guide is for you. The last thing you want in retirement is to run out of money, you want your money to generate lasting income while you enjoy your life.
Now you can learn the strategies wealthy retirees use to fund their retirement with The Definitive Guide to Retirement Income from Fisher Investments. Download the guide today! (sponsor)
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