Recently, JD sat down with Keith Black, Managing Director of the RIA Channel, to discuss why buffer ETFs can offer better hedging characteristics than fixed-income allocations.
There has been significant innovation in ETFs, adding buffer and defined outcome strategies to the tax-efficient wrapper. These ETFs allow investors to reduce fixed-income exposure and increase equity risk exposure, potentially boosting future wealth.
Gardner states that investors holding onto the belief that bonds offer positive returns and protection may be hurting long term return potential. Investors should move beyond the idea that aggressive investors should own more stocks and conservative investors should own more bonds. Owners of bonds may find it difficult to maintain purchasing power.
Gardner recommends allocating funds to buffer ETFs from an investor’s fixed-income allocation. Buffer ETFs linked to an equity index have capped upside returns and defined outcomes in down markets.
Launching buffer ETFs was a logical next step, as the Aptus ETF lineup has long focused on options-based strategies. Options hedges can be expensive, but the downside correlation is known. The correlation between equity and fixed income returns varies, making the hedging characteristics of fixed income unknown during equity market declines. Adding options hedges to a portfolio allows investors to confidently increase their equity allocation.
The defined outcome ETF space is nearing $100 billion in AUM, with projections of $600 billion or more over the next several years. As the market expands, exposures will likely evolve beyond core S&P 500 exposure to more niche index exposures. Ideally, new entrants into the buffer ETF space will have a track record of managing options-based funds.
Asset allocation is shown to drive as much as 90% of investment outcomes. We look forward to sharing our views on how low-cost buffered ETFs can immediately help clients:
- Own more stocks
- Own less bonds
- Keep risk neutral
Buffered ETFs are part of a growing use of options-based funds by advisors. See our unique way of putting fund fee savings to work for better outcomes.
This podcast was recorded in January 2026. The opinions expressed are solely those of the podcast participants and do not reflect the opinion of Aptus Capital Advisors. The opinions referenced are as of the date of recording and are subject to change without notice. This material is for informational use only and should not be considered investment advice. The information discussed herein is not a recommendation to buy or sell a particular security or to invest in any particular sector. Forward-looking statements are not guaranteed. Aptus reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs and there is no guarantee that their assessment of investments will be accurate.
Full standardized performance figures can be viewed at each of the following respective fund pages:
https://aptusetfs.com/janb/, https://aptusetfs.com/aprb/, https://aptusetfs.com/julb/, https://aptusetfs.com/octb/.
FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the share price of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options, other than changes in the share price of the Underlying ETF, may include interest rate changes, changing supply and demand, decreased liquidity of the FLEX Options, and changing volatility levels of the Underlying ETF.
FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, no one can guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease.
FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF.
The Aptus January Buffer ETF (the “Fund”) is an actively managed exchange-traded strategy seeking to provide investors with returns that match the share price performance of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside Cap, as defined below, before fees and expenses, while providing a Buffer, as defined below, against a predetermined percentage, before fees and expenses, of Underlying ETF losses over a twelve-month period from January 1 to December 31.
The Aptus April Buffer ETF (the “Fund”) is an actively managed exchange-traded strategy seeking to provide investors with returns that match the share price performance of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside Cap, as defined below, before fees and expenses, while providing a Buffer, as defined below, against a predetermined percentage, before fees and expenses, of Underlying ETF losses over a twelve-month period from April 1 to March 31.
The Aptus July Buffer ETF (the “Fund”) is an actively managed exchange-traded strategy seeking to provide investors with returns that match the share price performance of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside Cap, as defined below, before fees and expenses, while providing a Buffer, as defined below, against a predetermined percentage, before fees and expenses, of Underlying ETF losses over a twelve-month period from July 1 to June 30.
The Aptus October Buffer ETF (the “Fund”) is an actively managed exchange-traded strategy seeking to provide investors with returns that match the share price performance of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside Cap, as defined below, before fees and expenses, while providing a Buffer, as defined below, against a predetermined percentage, before fees and expenses, of Underlying ETF losses over a twelve-month period from October 1 to September 30.
Cumulative return is the aggregate amount that an investment has gained or lost over time. Annualized Return is the average return gained or lost by an investment each year over a given time period. Performance is annualized for periods greater than 1 year.
Performance quoted represents past performance, which is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, so you may have a gain or loss when shares are sold. Current performance may be higher or lower than that quoted. Short-term performance in particular is not a good indication of the fund’s future performance and an investment should not be made solely on returns.
Market Price: The current price at which shares are bought and sold. Market returns are based upon the last trade price. NAV: The dollar value of a single share, based on the value of the underlying assets of the fund minus its liabilities, divided by the number of shares outstanding. Calculated at the end of each business day. The reference asset is the underlying security or index in which the fund’s FLEX option reference. A return is the gain or loss that an investment generates over time. Return difference is the difference between the fund’s return and reference asset return. The cap is the maximum potential return if held to the end of the current outcome period. Downside before buffer is the amount of Fund loss incurred before the buffer begins. An outcome period is the intended length of time over which the defined outcomes are sought.
A Fund will not terminate after the conclusion of the Investment Period. After the conclusion of an Investment Period with respect to a Fund, another will begin. There is no guarantee that the structured outcomes for an Investment Period will be realized.
The structured outcomes may only be realized if you are holding shares on the first day of an Investment Period and continue to hold them on the last day of that Investment Period. If you purchase shares after an Investment Period has begun or sell shares prior to an Investment Period’s conclusion, you may experience investment returns very different from those that the Fund seeks to provide. If the Investment Period has begun and the Fund has increased in value to a level near to the Cap (as defined below), an investor purchasing at that price has little or no ability to achieve gains but remains vulnerable to downside risks. Similarly, if the Investment Period has begun and the Fund has decreased in value beyond the pre-determined buffer (as described below), an investor purchasing shares at that price may not benefit from the buffer. There is no guarantee that a Fund will successfully achieve its investment objective.
Fund shareholders are subject to an upside return cap (the “Cap”) that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in a Fund for an Investment Period. Therefore, even though the Funds’ returns are based upon the Underlying ETF, if the Underlying ETF experiences returns for an Investment Period in excess of the Cap, you will not experience those excess gains. A Fund’s Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next. There is no guarantee that a Fund’s Cap will remain the same upon the conclusion of its Investment Period.
Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to buffer against Underlying ETF losses if the Underlying ETFs share price decreases by 15% or less over the duration of the Investment Period. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment.
Capped Upside Risk. The Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the Underlying ETF for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside Cap. If an investor does not hold its Shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Fund seeks to achieve.
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