Why own a mutual fund
when you can own
the S&P 500 directly?
The SPY ETF gives you everything a mutual fund offers — and a lot more — with no advisor fees, no management costs, and the ability to write covered calls. Add our proprietary buy and sell signals and you have a genuine edge.
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The IncomeTrader Fund vs. the competition
Using our proprietary buy and sell signals on the SPY, our members have historically outperformed the S&P 500 index and the largest mutual funds in the country. The live chart with current signals is available inside the members area.
| Fund / Index | Historical Return |
|---|---|
| IncomeTrader Fund (SPY + signals) | +19.97% |
| S&P 500 Index | +11.42% |
| Janus (JAWWX) | +8.96% |
| Fidelity (FDGRX) | +10.65% |
| Vanguard (VWELX) | +9.42% |
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Get Full Access — $0.99SPY vs. mutual funds — the full comparison
The SPY ETF tracks all 500 stocks in the S&P 500, just like most mutual funds use as their benchmark — but with dramatically lower costs and far more flexibility.
| SPY ETF | Mutual Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Extremely Diversified (500 stocks) | ✓ | 100–300 stocks |
| Tracks the Entire S&P 500 Market | ✓ | ✓ |
| Management / Maintenance Fees | None | Yes — front/back load + annual fees |
| Advisor Fees | None | Often required |
| Optionable (write covered calls) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Trade During Market Hours | ✓ | End of day only |
| Instant Order Execution | ✓ | ✗ |
| Stop Loss Orders Allowed | ✓ | ✗ |
| Short Sales (profit in down markets) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Earn Dividends Directly | ✓ | Often used to pay fees |
| Buy/Sell Signals from IncomeTrader | ✓ Members only | ✗ |
| Beats the S&P 500? | This IS the S&P 500 | Most do not, historically |
What makes SPY different — explained simply
Here’s a plain English breakdown of each advantage the SPY has over a traditional mutual fund.
Extremely Diversified
Mutual funds typically hold 100 to 300 stocks. The SPY holds all 500 stocks in the S&P 500 — more diversification with a single trade.
No Management Fees
The SPY is a stock. Your only cost is your brokerage commission to buy or sell. Mutual funds typically charge front loads, back loads, and annual expense ratios on top of any advisor fees.
Fully Optionable
The SPY can be used to write covered calls — one of the most powerful income strategies available. Mutual funds cannot be used this way at all.
Trade Anytime During Market Hours
The SPY trades like a stock — buy or sell any time the market is open with instant execution. Mutual funds only price and execute at the end of the trading day.
Stop Loss Orders
You can set a stop loss on SPY to automatically limit your downside if the market drops. This protection is not available on mutual funds.
Our Buy & Sell Signals
IncomeTrader members get access to our proprietary SPY buy, sell, hold, and out signals — giving you a timing edge that no mutual fund manager provides.
Earn Dividends
When any of the 500 S&P stocks pay a dividend, the SPY passes that income directly to you. With mutual funds, dividends are often absorbed by the fund to cover management costs.
Profit in Both Directions
The SPY can be sold short, meaning members can potentially profit even in a declining market. Mutual funds only make money when the market goes up.
The IncomeTrader Advantage
Replace your mutual fund with SPY — and add our signals.
Since the majority of mutual funds use the S&P 500 as their benchmark, and the SPY is the S&P 500 tracking stock, the comparison is direct. By replacing your mutual fund with SPY, you eliminate advisor fees, management costs, and all the restrictions that come with a fund. Add IncomeTrader’s proprietary buy and sell signals — available exclusively to members — and you have a timing tool that gives you a genuine edge over simply holding a fund. Our members trade the SPY in their own IRAs and regular brokerage accounts, on their own schedule, with full control over every decision. We call it the IncomeTrader Advantage.
Get the live SPY buy & sell signals inside the members area. Try full access for just $0.99.
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Access our live SPY buy & sell signals, covered call tools, and full market education — all for $0.99 for your first 14 days.
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