Dividend Vision Lists
Potential Yield-Trap ETFs
A risk screen — not a buy list. These high-yield ETFs pair an 8%+ distribution with a low Distribution Safety Score and a deteriorating signal (a falling 1-year price or a shrinking payout). The table shows exactly which rule flagged each fund.
Updated September 2026 · 50 funds
DV Scorecard
Our proprietary snapshot of this list — averages and standouts, computed from the funds below. Not investment advice.
A very high yield is a question, not a gift. When a fund pays 8%, 15%, or 30% and its price is falling while the payout shrinks, the distribution is often being funded by return of capital — the market's way of pricing in trouble. This page is a deliberate risk screen that surfaces those funds, so you can recognize the pattern.
This is not a list to avoid at all costs, nor a prediction that any fund will cut — some high-yield strategies are designed to trade NAV for income. It's a caution list: high yield, low Distribution Safety Score, and a real deterioration signal, all at once. The final column names the exact rule that flagged each fund.
How this screen works
A fund appears only when a high yield, a weak Safety Score, AND a deterioration signal all line up.
- Yield: distribution rate of 8% or more.
- Safety: a Distribution Safety Score below 40 (the "elevated" or "high" risk bands).
- Deterioration: AND at least one of — a negative 1-year price change, or a shrinking trailing distribution.
- Rank: riskiest (lowest Safety Score) first. The "Why it's flagged" column lists the specific rules each fund triggered.
Potential Yield-Trap ETFs
Ranked live from our data pipeline on every build — click any column header to re-sort, or open a ticker for the full analysis. We never hard-code the figures.
| Ticker | Fund | 1-Yr Price | Yield | Distribution Safety Score™ ⓘ | Div growth (1y) | AUM | Why it's flagged |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVGW | Roundhill AVGO WeeklyPay ETF | +20.9% | 47.17% | 0 | -57.6% | $46M | very low safety · payout shrinking |
| METW | Roundhill META WeeklyPay ETF | -26.5% | 50.32% | 0 | -68.0% | $24M | very low safety · price down 27% · payout shrinking |
| UBEW | Roundhill UBER WeeklyPay ETF | -25.6% | 39.80% | 0 | -70.7% | $4M | very low safety · price down 26% · payout shrinking |
| BPI | Grayscale Bitcoin Premium Income ETF | -27.4% | 22.01% | 1 | -73.8% | $2M | very low safety · price down 27% · payout shrinking |
| ETTY | Amplify Ethereum 3% Monthly Option Income ETF | -48.7% | 36.26% | 5 | -73.8% | $3M | very low safety · price down 49% · payout shrinking |
| NVDW | Roundhill NVDA WeeklyPay ETF | +31.6% | 38.33% | 5 | -58.7% | $2M | very low safety · payout shrinking |
| AMZW | Roundhill AMZN WeeklyPay ETF | +10.0% | 44.69% | 6 | -43.4% | $35M | very low safety · payout shrinking |
| GDXW | Roundhill Gold Miners WeeklyPay ETF | +33.0% | 47.05% | 7 | -49.6% | $85M | very low safety · payout shrinking |
| BAGY | Amplify Bitcoin Max Income Covered Call ETF | -38.2% | 29.74% | 8 | -72.0% | $11M | very low safety · price down 38% · payout shrinking |
| BITY | Amplify Bitcoin 24% Premium Income ETF | -36.2% | 23.63% | 8 | -59.8% | $13M | very low safety · price down 36% · payout shrinking |
| LFGY | YieldMax Crypto Industry & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF | +0.9% | 39.12% | 10 | -72.1% | $88M | very low safety · payout shrinking |
| MST | Defiance Leveraged Long + Income MSTR ETF | -92.3% | 38.13% | 10 | — | $21M | very low safety · price down 92% |
| BTCI | NEOS Bitcoin High Income ETF | -28.9% | 22.53% | 12 | -62.0% | $1.3B | very low safety · price down 29% · payout shrinking |
| AMYY | GraniteShares YieldBOOST AMD ETF | +29.0% | 67.60% | 13 | -68.7% | $9M | very low safety · payout shrinking |
| TSII | REX TSLA Growth & Income ETF | +5.4% | 37.98% | 15 | -66.7% | $31M | very low safety · payout shrinking |
| MAGY | Roundhill Magnificent Seven WeeklyPay ETF | +1.7% | 19.45% | 16 | -54.3% | $105M | very low safety · payout shrinking |
| DFII | FT Vest Bitcoin Strategy & Target Income ETF | -32.8% | 17.31% | 17 | -56.5% | $21M | very low safety · price down 33% · payout shrinking |
| MSFW | Roundhill MSFT WeeklyPay ETF | -5.6% | 39.68% | 18 | -66.1% | $34M | very low safety · price down 6% · payout shrinking |
| RIOX | Defiance Daily Target 2X Long RIOT ETF | -45.4% | 48.04% | 18 | — | $15M | very low safety · price down 45% |
| SNOY | YieldMax SNOW Option Income Strategy ETF | +28.0% | 60.89% | 18 | -41.1% | $67M | very low safety · payout shrinking |
| COIW | Roundhill COIN WeeklyPay ETF | -52.6% | 52.29% | 19 | — | $41M | very low safety · price down 53% |
| NFLP | Kurv Yield Premium Strategy Netflix ETF | -35.4% | 14.82% | 19 | -45.5% | $5M | very low safety · price down 35% · payout shrinking |
| TEMT | Tradr 2X Long TEM Daily ETF | -66.9% | 44.75% | 19 | — | $38M | very low safety · price down 67% |
| BEGS | Rareview 2x Bull Cryptocurrency & Precious Metals ETF | -24.1% | 57.28% | 20 | — | $3M | low safety · price down 24% |
| PYPY | YieldMax PYPL Option Income Strategy ETF | -22.5% | 28.63% | 20 | -69.8% | $22M | low safety · price down 23% · payout shrinking |
| AMZY | YieldMax AMZN Option Income Strategy ETF | +8.2% | 29.88% | 21 | -64.9% | $233M | low safety · payout shrinking |
| KPDD | KraneShares 2x Long PDD Daily ETF | -63.6% | 131.66% | 21 | — | $20M | low safety · price down 64% |
| MAAY | GraniteShares YieldBOOST MARA ETF | -42.8% | 90.98% | 21 | — | $3M | low safety · price down 43% |
| MSTW | Roundhill MSTR WeeklyPay ETF | -74.6% | 79.44% | 21 | — | $56M | low safety · price down 75% |
| RGTU | Tradr 2X Long RGTI Daily ETF | -73.8% | 91.99% | 21 | — | $9M | low safety · price down 74% |
| SOUX | Defiance Daily Target 2X Long SOUN ETF | -89.9% | 81.45% | 21 | — | $9M | low safety · price down 90% |
| BLOX | Nicholas Crypto Income ETF | -11.0% | 35.72% | 22 | -47.7% | $283M | low safety · price down 11% · payout shrinking |
| KLIP | KraneShares China Internet and Covered Call Strategy ETF | -9.8% | 24.72% | 23 | -24.7% | $96M | low safety · price down 10% · payout shrinking |
| OARK | YieldMax Innovation Option Income Strategy ETF | +11.4% | 40.23% | 23 | -72.1% | $47M | low safety · payout shrinking |
| SMCZ | Defiance Daily Target 2X Short SMCI ETF | -92.8% | 38.77% | 23 | — | $4M | low safety · price down 93% |
| SLON | ProShares Ultra Solana ETF | -88.4% | 141.67% | 24 | — | $16M | low safety · price down 88% |
| GOLI | Defiance Gold Enhanced Options Income ETF | +7.5% | 24.38% | 25 | -70.2% | $24M | low safety · payout shrinking |
| UBRL | GraniteShares 2x Long UBER Daily ETF | -44.6% | 166.93% | 25 | — | $21M | low safety · price down 45% |
| APPX | Tradr 2X Long APP Daily ETF | -78.8% | 77.15% | 26 | — | $129M | low safety · price down 79% |
| PTIR | GraniteShares 2x Long PLTR Daily ETF | -24.4% | 91.71% | 26 | — | $352M | low safety · price down 24% |
| QBTX | Tradr 2X Long QBTS Daily ETF | -72.5% | 71.85% | 26 | — | $109M | low safety · price down 73% |
| APLY | YieldMax AAPL Option Income Strategy ETF | +23.4% | 25.69% | 27 | -52.8% | $99M | low safety · payout shrinking |
| BABW | Roundhill BABA WeeklyPay ETF | -42.6% | 45.53% | 27 | — | $1M | low safety · price down 43% |
| GOOY | YieldMax GOOGL Option Income Strategy ETF | +44.3% | 28.45% | 27 | -66.3% | $226M | low safety · payout shrinking |
| RKLX | Defiance Daily Target 2X Long RKLB ETF | -48.7% | 39.80% | 27 | — | $260M | low safety · price down 49% |
| TQQY | GraniteShares YieldBOOST QQQ ETF | +6.4% | 24.84% | 27 | -60.8% | $6M | low safety · payout shrinking |
| BAIG | Leverage Shares 2X Long BBAI Daily ETF | -86.7% | 31.19% | 28 | — | $17M | low safety · price down 87% |
| COYY | GraniteShares YieldBOOST COIN ETF | -55.9% | 61.90% | 28 | — | $18M | low safety · price down 56% |
| ETCO | Grayscale Ethereum Covered Call ETF | -46.4% | 42.69% | 28 | — | $4M | low safety · price down 46% |
| HOYY | GraniteShares YieldBOOST HOOD ETF | -45.0% | 71.27% | 28 | — | $6M | low safety · price down 45% |
A risk screen, not a prediction or recommendation. Some high-yield strategies intentionally trade principal for income. Always read each fund's full analysis. Not investment advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is a yield trap?
A yield trap is an investment whose high yield is created by a falling price or an unsustainable payout, so the income lures buyers into losses. This screen flags 50 high-yield ETFs where low safety meets a deteriorating price or distribution.
Are these funds guaranteed to cut their distribution?
No. This is a risk screen, not a prediction. Some funds here run strategies that deliberately return capital as income. The list highlights a risk pattern worth understanding — it does not forecast any specific outcome.
Why show this at all?
Because the highest yields dominate every ordinary high-yield screen, and beginners often buy them for the headline number. Making the risk pattern explicit — with the exact flag for each fund — is more useful than hiding it.
What does "Why it's flagged" mean?
It lists the specific rules a fund triggered: very low or low Safety Score, a negative 1-year price change, and/or a shrinking payout. Every fund here trips at least the safety rule plus one deterioration signal.
How often is this updated?
Yields, Safety Scores, prices, and distributions refresh on every build, so a fund drops off automatically once its numbers improve.
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