At a glance
RSSY charges 0.99% a year, above the 0.86% average of the 7 funds most like it (the most expensive of 8). It has $92.3M in assets, the 8th largest of that group; it paid 1.47% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, annual. Over the past year it returned +31.1% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), the best of those 8 funds.
The short version
Return Stacked U.S. Stocks & Futures Yield ETF (RSSY) is an actively managed fund from Tidal Financial Group. It uses leverage to give about $1 of large U.S. stock exposure plus about $1 of a futures "carry" strategy for each $1 invested. That stacking is what sets it apart. So does its 0.99% expense ratio, which is high for a fund whose stock side was mostly one S&P 500 ETF as of July 31, 2026.
Price history
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RSSY +31.1% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSSY official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | -2.97% | — | — | — | -0.88% |
| RSSY price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +38.5% | +31.1% | — | — | — | +13.3% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, RSSY returned +31.1%, 1st of 8 among similar funds.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2025 (-3.5%); its best was 2025 (-3.5%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 29.6% (Jul 1, 2024 to Apr 8, 2025), recovered by Mar 2, 2026.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +38.5% | — |
| 2025 | -3.5% | -2.97% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Before this security existed |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Before this security existed |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $0.3900 |
What's inside
As of Jul 31, 2026, the fund held 1 securities; the ten largest made up 75.85% of assets, and 16.92% sat in cash and money-market holdings.
| Fund held | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | 75.85% |
By country
United States 75.85%By asset type
Stocks 75.85%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jul 31, 2026, investors withdrew a net $15.1M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +1.19%, +0.90%, -2.05%.
How it works
The fund runs two strategies at once and targets exposure of about 100% of net assets to each. The stock side is managed by sub-adviser Newfound Research. It aims to capture the total return of large U.S. companies, meaning those worth more than $8 billion. To do that it can hold stocks, low-cost broad stock ETFs, index futures or swaps. As of July 31, 2026, iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) made up 75.85% of net assets. That means holders also pay IVV's own fees inside the fund.
The Futures Yield side is run by ReSolve Asset Management with a systematic, computer-driven model. It looks for "carry": the benefit of holding an asset, such as a dividend or bond coupon, minus costs like financing or storage. It buys futures with positive carry and sells short those with negative carry. It trades commodities, currencies, stocks and bonds worldwide and sizes each position by its estimated risk. As of July 31, 2026, its 31 derivative positions included coffee, sugar and gasoil futures, Australian dollar futures and Nasdaq 100 E-mini futures. Some of these trades go through a Cayman Islands subsidiary.
Futures need only a small deposit, so the fund keeps Treasury bills and cash as collateral and to earn interest. Cash was 16.92% of net assets as of July 31, 2026. The futures return is added to the stock return after financing costs, so losses on both sides can add up. Turnover was 83%. The fund is also regulated as a commodity pool.
What it really costs
- RSSY charges 0.99% a year, versus an average of 0.86% for the similar funds below (8th of 8, cheapest first).
- Of that, 0.95% is the management fee; the rest covers other fund expenses.
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $101 in the first year and $1,213 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSSY | $101 | $315 | $547 | $1,213 |
Structure and tax notes
- Invests in other funds rather than directly in stocks or bonds, so its holdings are those funds.
In a retirement portfolio
It uses leverage, short futures positions and commodity and currency bets, and it fell 29.6% from peak to trough in its first year.
RSSY could add a second source of return, from futures, on top of S&P 500 exposure without taking money out of stocks. Its record is short. It launched on May 28, 2024, so it was not around for the 2008 financial crisis, the 2020 COVID crash or the 2022 bear market. Its deepest drop was 29.6%, from July 1, 2024 to April 8, 2025. It regained its peak on March 2, 2026, about 10.8 months after the low. Someone who had to sell shares near that low would have locked in a large loss. Its worst calendar year was 2025, a 2.97% loss according to the prospectus. Income is small: the trailing yield was 1.47% as of October 27, 2026, paid once a year. Under the SEC's standard example, $10,000 would cost $101 in fees in the first year and $1,213 over ten years. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want S&P 500-style exposure and a separate futures carry strategy stacked on top, in one fund.
- Those comfortable with leverage, short positions and commodity and currency futures, and with a 29.6% drop like the one from July 2024 to April 2025.
- Holders using it as a small satellite position who don't rely on its income, which was a 1.47% trailing yield paid annually as of October 27, 2026.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: it charges 0.99% a year, plus the fees of the underlying ETFs it holds, and was mostly one S&P 500 ETF as of July 31, 2026.
- Retirees who want steady or monthly income, since it pays once a year and yielded 1.47% over the trailing 12 months as of October 27, 2026.
- Investors who want a long track record or downside protection: it launched in May 2024, has no buffer, and lost 2.97% in 2025.
Close alternatives
Matched by other buffer (defined-outcome) funds, largest first.
| Fund | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSSY this fund | 0.99% | $92.3M | +31.1% | — |
| BUFR FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF | 0.95% | $10.49B | +11.6% | +16.8% |
| BUFD FT Vest Laddered Deep Buffer ETF | 0.95% | $2.04B | +9.5% | +13.9% |
| PJAN Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Ja… | 0.79% | $1.44B | +10.5% | +14.8% |
| PDEC Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - De… | 0.79% | $984.1M | +11.6% | +14.9% |
| FDEC FT Vest US Equity Buffer ETF - December | 0.85% | $1.31B | +12.9% | +18.5% |
| FJAN FT Vest US Equity Buffer ETF - January | 0.85% | $1.47B | +12.3% | +17.4% |
| FFEB FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer Fund - February | 0.85% | $1.42B | +12.9% | +18.6% |
Questions investors ask
Is RSSY a leveraged ETF?
Yes, in the sense that it borrows exposure. Each $1 invested gets about $1 of large U.S. stock exposure and about $1 of a futures carry strategy, so total exposure is about $2. It does not try to deliver two or three times an index's daily move, and it is not an inverse fund. But stacking two strategies means losses can add up, as in its 29.6% drop from July 1, 2024 to April 8, 2025.
Does RSSY pay a dividend?
Yes, but only once a year and not much. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid about $0.39 per share, a trailing yield of 1.47%. Most of its stock exposure came through iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, and it also earns interest on the Treasury bills it holds as collateral. Investors looking for regular monthly or quarterly income may find the payout schedule and size limiting.
What is the expense ratio of RSSY?
RSSY's expense ratio is 0.99%, including a 0.95% management fee, according to its prospectus filed April 27, 2026. Under the SEC's standard example of $10,000 earning 5% a year, fees come to about $101 after one year, $547 after five and $1,213 after ten. Because the fund holds other ETFs, mainly IVV, it also bears those funds' expenses. The prospectus calls these higher and duplicative costs.
How has RSSY performed since launch?
Its results have swung widely. According to the prospectus, RSSY lost 2.97% in 2025 and averaged −0.88% a year from its May 2024 launch through December 31, 2025. Its strongest quarter was +8.78% (ending September 30, 2025) and its weakest was −12.02% (ending March 31, 2025). Based on price, it returned 31.1% over the year to October 27, 2026. With under three years of history, these numbers say little about long-term results.
RSSY vs BUFR: what's the difference?
They follow different strategies, so BUFR is not a close substitute. FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF (BUFR) is a defined-outcome fund. It uses options to absorb part of stock losses over set periods, and in return it caps gains. RSSY has no buffer. It adds a leveraged futures strategy on top of stock exposure. BUFR costs 0.95% against RSSY's 0.99%. As of October 27, 2026, BUFR's one-year return was 11.6% and RSSY's was 31.1%. BUFR held about $10.5 billion and RSSY about $92 million.