My Augmented Income Strategy (AIS) is an income‑first screening layer that seeks and identifies securities whose dividend yields exceed my chosen high‑yield savings account (HYSA), the benchmark for inclusion. AIS is intentionally simple at the first pass: it flags names that pay materially more than the HYSA so I can prioritize further fundamental review, tax treatment considerations, and liquidity metrics (Position sizing). By concentrating on securities within the AIS, that yield meaningfully above my HYSA, I apply a disciplined buy‑hold‑acquire‑more posture, AIS aims to generate steady cash flow while selectively adding to positions when market stress creates attractive entry yields. Qualified vs Non‑Qualified Dividends — Tax Treatment A critical distinction for income investors is whether dividends are qualified or non‑qualified . Qualified dividends are taxed at long‑term capital gains rates and generally require meeting holding‑period rules and originating from qualifying...
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