3 Closed-End Funds to Maximize Dividend Payments

Closed-end funds can offer high monthly dividend yields while diversifying away the company-specific risk tied to individual high-yield stocks.

ETJ, MEGI, and ARDC provide yields of 9.3%, 9.9%, and 10.9%, respectively, but each carries distinct fees, strategies, and risks.

Investors should weigh trade-offs such as MEGI's 2033 liquidation date, high expense ratios, and exposure to below-investment-grade debt in ARDC.

Ultra-high dividend yields for individual stocks may appeal to investors seeking additional income—after all, who doesn't want high dividend payments ? At the same time, though, a very high yield can sometimes be a giant red flag for investors.

If the yield is high because of a value trap in which the price of the stock is failing and the company is distressed, there is a growing risk of either a dividend cut or a continued decline to share price, or both.

One alternative is a fund that spreads that company-specific risk across a broader basket of firms.

The funds below are all closed-end funds, meaning each has a fixed number of shares and a price that may deviate from its underlying net asset value (NAV).

Closed-end fund investors take on additional risks due to the structure of these products, but they are particularly well-suited to income generation.

Like a traditional exchange-traded fund (ETF), they offer greater diversification and ease for investors not interested in actively managing their own portfolios—but unlike most ETFs, each of these funds makes monthly distributions, ensuring that investors get access to dividend payments quickly and regularly.

Together, these factors make high-yield closed-end funds often a more compelling way of accessing dividends than individual stocks.

Closed-end funds often have eye-catching dividend yields, and ETJ is no exception. This fund provides a yield of 9.3% .

ETJ's unique strategy combines a portfolio of traditional stock investments with out-of-the-money, short-dated put and call options on the S&P 500 index.

It has traded at a discount to NAV fairly consistently for the last several years, and it makes monthly payments thanks to its options strategy component.

This fund only has 57 distinct holdings, though they are distributed across several different sectors, with information technology representing the largest share at about 39% of the portfolio.

Thanks to its distinctive structure and actively managed approach , ETJ requires a fairly robust fee commitment from investors: the fund charges an annual fee of 1.12%.

Compared to most ETFs this is exceptionally high, but investors may be more willing to pay in this case because of the substantial yield this fund offers.

Another closed-end fund for dividend yield pursuers, the NYLI CBRE Global Infrastructure Megatrends Term Fund NYSE: MEGI offers a 9.9% yield .

Unlike ETJ, MEGI uses a thematic portfolio design structure that focuses on companies involved in decarbonization, digital transformation, and asset modernization within the infrastructure space.

It often trades at a discount to NAV of between 7% and 9%.