A Terrific 12.2% Monthly Dividend From US Treasuries

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses a strategy to achieve a monthly dividend yield of 12.2% through the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond BuyWrite Strategy ETF (TLTW), which combines investments in long-term U.S. Treasuries with covered call options to enhance returns [12]. Treasury Market Overview - The U.S. Treasury market is under scrutiny as the national debt reaches $36 trillion, leading to higher yield demands from bond investors due to perceived credit risks [3][4]. - The current yield on the 10-year Treasury is 4.3%, which is lower than expected in a free market, attributed to government policies that have influenced bond supply and demand dynamics [5][6]. Policy Impact on Bond Yields - Former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's strategy of issuing short-term debt has suppressed long-term yields, with 75% of the deficit funded at the short end of the curve by 2024 [7][8]. - Current Secretary Scott Bessent continues this approach, funding 80% of the deficit with short-term debt, which aims to cap long-term yields and stabilize the bond market [9]. Investment Strategy and Yield Enhancement - The iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) currently yields 4.6%, but the TLTW ETF enhances this yield to 12.2% by selling covered calls on TLT shares [10][12]. - Investing $100,000 in TLT yields $4,600 annually, while the same investment in TLTW increases the income to $12,200, demonstrating the effectiveness of the covered call strategy [12][13].