iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF

PFF

Market cap $13.9B

A 68-year-old retiree who wants to generate $42,000 a year in dividend income without constantly riding the swings of the S&P 500 faces a portfolio math problem that rewards precision.

iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF offers diversified exposure to preferreds, with $13.7B AUM and a 5.6% TTM yield. PFF's portfolio is 62% financial institutions, 24% industrials, and spans 456 holdings across baby bonds, convertibles, and fixed/floating preferreds. PFF's largest allocation is 42% fixed-rate preferreds, with key sub-segments yielding and varying call/maturity profiles.

Approximately one-third of PFF's portfolio is invested in Mandatory Convertible Preferred Shares. These have contributed disproportionately to PFF's overall returns, which lag the overall category. PFF's exposure to Mandatory Convertible Preferred Shares has made it a riskier investment (as measured by its Standard Deviation) than both its benchmark index, and the overall Preferred Share category. Returns have been worse that the category as a whole, investors are not compensated for assuming this additional risk, and PFF has an extremely low Sharpe Ratio.

Rates are stuck, and most high-yield investors are positioned all wrong. I provide a detailed sector-by-sector breakdown of exactly where smart money is moving right now, including specific blue-chip picks trading at deep discounts. I also detail my disciplined capital recycling approach to accelerate my income and total return compounding in the current environment.

Two fundamentally strong investments now yield over 10%. Both of these 10%+ yielders have track records of outperformance and sustainable dividends. ARCC is trading at its deepest discount in years, and PFFA has managed to grow its payout for years despite being stuffed with fixed-income securities.

Most investors chase yield and quietly destroy their retirement income in the process. A surprisingly simple portfolio structure can produce 7%+ income without excessive risk. The strategy combines three powerful income engines most investors rarely use correctly.

Retirement income planning used to be simple: buy bonds, collect coupons, live on the interest.

PFFA is rated 'Buy' for 2026, leveraging active management and 20–30% leverage to deliver superior income and capital preservation. PFFA's 5-year total return of 53.31% far outpaces PFF at 13.31%. PFFA's portfolio is concentrated in REITs, energy, and infrastructure, positioning it to benefit from anticipated Fed rate cuts.

One 7% yielding monthly-paying investment is trading at one of its widest discounts in years. The other quietly yields over 9% and has been growing its payout for five years in a row. While I like both, they also come with risks to keep in mind.

Many retirees invest in high-yielding funds where the income looks irresistible, but the risk is hiding in plain sight. One overlooked factor can quietly destroy long-term retirement income. There is a far more reliable way most retirees completely ignore.