Dividend Vision Model Portfolios
Safety-First Income
Five funds that all score in the Safe band of the Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™. A low-cost dividend-growth core, two target-income funds, a tech covered-call fund that keeps part of its upside, and a gold sleeve that zigs when stocks zag. Equal-weighted for a blended distribution rate of about 8.5%.
Updated Nov 5, 2026
Holdings
Rates, payout schedules and scores are refreshed from our data on every site update. Open a fund for its full analysis.
| Ticker | Fund | Weight | Dist. rate | Pays | Distribution Safety Score™ | Expense |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIVB | iShares Core Dividend ETF | 20.0% | 2.34% | Quarterly | 100 Safe | 0.05% |
| RDVI | FT Vest Rising Dividend Achievers Target Income ETF | 20.0% | 8.28% | Monthly | 90 Safe | 0.75% |
| SEPQ | STF Tactical Growth & Income ETF | 20.0% | 12.39% | Monthly | 90 Safe | 0.65% |
| TYLG | Global X Information Technology Covered Call & Growth ETF | 20.0% | 11.90% | Monthly | 90 Safe | 0.60% |
| IGLD | FT Vest Gold Strategy Target Income ETF® | 20.0% | 6.99% | Monthly | 91 Safe | 0.85% |
Portfolio Distribution Safety Score™
Weighted by each fund's share of the projected income. No income comes from funds scoring under 60. The ring shows how the income splits across score bands.
Why these picks
- DIVB
The anchor. Tracks US companies that return cash through dividends and buybacks. Distribution Safety Score 100 (Safe), a 0.05% expense ratio and 105 straight months of distributions. Payouts grew 12% over the past year and about 17% a year over five years.
- RDVI
Rising dividends plus income. Owns US companies with a history of raising their dividends and sells options to target a monthly payout near 8.4%. Score 90 (Safe), $3.8B in assets, payouts up 8% over the past year.
- SEPQ
Growth with a defensive switch. A trend-following model moves between Nasdaq-100 exposure and Treasuries, with an options sleeve paying about 12.6% monthly. Score 90 (Safe). Payouts rose about 7% over the past year. Formerly TUGN.
- TYLG
Tech upside with a paycheck. Holds 50% in the Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK) with a covered-call overlay, so it keeps part of the tech rally. Score 90 (Safe), payouts up about 44% over the past year, and the best total return of the five since late 2022. A small fund ($15M), so mind the spreads.
- IGLD
The diversifier. Gold exposure with a target-income overlay paying about 7.2% monthly. Score 87 (Safe). Its payout moves with gold volatility, and it trailed over the past year while stocks led, which is the point of holding it.
Reasons written Nov 3, 2026; the holdings table above shows today's figures.
Backtest
+99.3% total return since Nov 2022 (19.2% a year)
| Series | Total return | Per year | Last 12 mo | Max drawdown | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safety-First Income | +99.3% | 19.2% | +16.5% | −16.0% | 12.9% |
| SPY | +98.7% | 19.1% | +11.6% | −18.8% | 15.0% |
| SCHD | +57.5% | 12.3% | +39.0% | −16.1% | 13.1% |
Nov 22, 2022 to Nov 3, 2026. Buy-and-hold at the listed weights, distributions reinvested (adjusted close). Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Frequently asked questions
How was the Safety-First Income backtest calculated?
It holds the listed weights from Nov 22, 2022 to Nov 3, 2026 without rebalancing and reinvests every distribution, using split- and distribution-adjusted prices. Benchmarks are measured the same way. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
What is this portfolio's Distribution Safety Score?
91 out of 100 (Safe). It averages each fund's Distribution Safety Score, weighted by its share of the portfolio's projected income. It is a rules-based estimate of how dependable the payouts are, not a guarantee.
How much income does Safety-First Income pay?
The holdings' current distribution rates blend to about 8.4% a year at the listed weights. Distribution rates change as funds raise, cut or vary their payouts.
Is this investment advice?
No. Model portfolios are examples for research and education. They are not recommendations to buy or sell any security, and you are responsible for your own decisions.
More model portfolios
Disclaimer: Model portfolios are illustrative examples for research and education, not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Distribution rates and scores change. Backtests are hypothetical, assume distributions are reinvested and ignore taxes and trading costs. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal.