Hey C41

You said: Dividend stock ETFs are new, with only a couple with 5 year records. The best record of the lot belongs to SDY, the S&P 1500 dividend ETF which buys the Dividend Aristocrats. It has cumulative returns of 2.3% for 3 years and 3.3% for 5 years. For some investors the SDY etf may be the best choice. I have to start taking required minimum distributions next year, and it would be easier to a sell a block of SDY to raise funds for a distribution as opposed to figuring how to raise money from an II portfolio.

What I would recommend is rather than selling a block of SDY ... instead do a transfer of an appropriate number of shares to cover your RMD to a taxable Schwab brokerage account. That way you still will own your SDY shares and meet your RMD requirements. Maybe commission free too !

Best Regards,

Rich