Investing Experts Will Barton on High Dividend Opportunities
Feb 23, 2026
Will Barton, an income investing analyst focused on high-yield and fixed-income portfolios. He explains the income method for replacing paychecks and why 8–10% yield targets make sense. He compares REITs, preferreds, ETFs and CEFs, outlines a four-part portfolio, and recounts surprises like big dividend cuts and lessons for retirement planning.
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Use Four Buckets To Structure Income Portfolios
- Split income portfolios into buckets: diversified funds, individual high-cashflow picks, a maturity ladder of bonds/baby bonds, and a separate preferreds sleeve.
- Barton keeps ~50 preferreds, a ladder for maturities, and core equity funds for diversification.
Buy CEFs When Discounts Create Unfair Prices
- Buy closed-end funds (CEFs) when they trade at wide discounts to net asset value to capture higher yields and upside.
- Barton prefers CEFs over ETFs because CEFs can trade far below NAV during panic, creating opportunistic entry points.
AGNCZ Preferred Bought For 8.75% Then Traded Above Par
- Barton bought AGNC's new preferred (AGNCZ) at an 8.75% coupon because AGNC holds large cash reserves and liquid agency MBS.
- That preferred later traded above par, demonstrating the payoff from buying high-yield preferreds in 2024.