A quality-first shortlist
Use Friends, Question Marks and Foes to reduce a large income universe to a more manageable list for further research.
For New Income Investors
Make quality your first filter—not yield.
IQ Score helps you compare income assets, understand the quality behind their distributions and avoid making a high headline yield your only reason to invest.
The starting mistake
A 10% yield is visible. The quality supporting it is not.
Two income assets can advertise similar yields while having very different levels of financial strength, structural resilience and deterioration risk. IQ Score is designed to make that hidden difference easier to investigate.
What IQ Score gives you
A disciplined starting point for every potential investment.
Comparable analysis across asset types
Review covered CEFs, BDCs, REITs and income ETFs through one consistent framework rather than comparing marketing language.
More than a single score
See the classification, confidence level, reasons and risk flags that explain why an asset currently scores as it does.
A warning against obvious quality traps
Identify assets showing material weakness before a high yield, deep discount or recent price move becomes the main investment thesis.
A better comparison process
Place quality beside yield, valuation, diversification and your own income requirements when comparing potential purchases.
A way to learn from real assets
Use the diagnostics behind each score to understand which financial and structural characteristics matter in income investing.
How to use it
Filter. Compare. Investigate.
- Start with the IQ classification.Use Friends as research candidates, treat Question Marks with caution and understand why Foes fail the current quality framework.
- Read the reasons and flags.Do not stop at the label. Look at what supports the score and where uncertainty remains.
- Compare similar assets.Evaluate alternatives in the same asset class instead of choosing the security with the highest distribution.
- Complete your own due diligence.Review valuation, portfolio fit, liquidity, tax treatment and risks before making an investment decision.
Questions IQ Score can help you answer
Move from “What yields the most?” to better questions.
Does this asset pass a basic quality screen?
Use the classification and confidence level as an initial check before spending more time on the opportunity.
Why do two similar funds score differently?
Compare their diagnostics, reasons and flags to understand the difference behind similar headline yields.
What should I research next?
Let the score direct you toward the financial, structural or risk factors that deserve further investigation.
Important boundary
A quality filter, not a personal buy recommendation.
A Friend classification does not automatically mean an asset is attractively valued or suitable for your objectives, time horizon or risk tolerance. It means the asset currently passes the IQ Score quality framework and may deserve further research.
Read the methodologyBuild your research list around quality—not the highest yield.
Explore covered income assets and use IQ Score as a disciplined first filter before you invest.
Explore IQ ScoresFor research and education only. Not personal investment advice.