Structured notes, explained properly
The investment your advisor sells but nobody explains.
Around 200 structured notes come to market every month. Most coverage either sells them or scares you off. We read the term sheets, sort the good from the mediocre, and teach you how to tell the difference yourself.
- MIN INVESTMENT
- $1,000
- NEW NOTES / MONTH
- ~200
- TENORS
- 1–5 YRS
- ISSUERS
- MAJOR BANKS
One instrument, four jobs
A structured note is a bond plus options, assembled to do a specific job. Pick the job first, then find the note built for it.
Income
Notes that pay a monthly or quarterly coupon — often 10–18% a year — as long as the index stays above a set level.
Growth
Uncapped participation above 1x. Some notes pay 1.5–2x whatever the S&P 500 returns, with a cushion on the way down.
Growth with protection
Give up some upside for a hard buffer: the issuer absorbs the first 10–20% of any loss before you take a hit.
CD alternative
100% principal-protected notes that swap a fixed rate for market upside — full protection, real return potential.
The flagship
Every month, we review the entire calendar.
All of it — every income, growth, callable, and principal-protected note on the platform — and we publish the short list we'd actually consider, with the reasoning in plain English.
June 2026 Structured Notes Review: The 36 We Actually Liked
We read all 150 structured notes on June's new-issue calendar. Here are the 36 worth a look, sorted by strategy, with the terms and the reasoning.
Read →New here? Start with the basics
All articles →Questions to Ask Before You Buy a Structured Note
A practical checklist for reading any structured note: issuer, protection, underlying, fees, call terms, cap, coupon, and the peer comparison most people skip.
Read →The Structured Note Risks Nobody Explains Properly
Most structured note warnings are half-right and unhelpful. Here are the real risks, explained clearly, so you can tell a good note from a bad one.
Read →The Five Types of Structured Notes, and When Each One Makes Sense
Growth, Boost, Income, Callable, and CD-style. Five structures, four investor goals. What each note pays, when it shines, and what to watch.
Read →Buffers vs Barriers: The Difference That Costs People Money
Two structured notes can both say 'downside protection' and behave nothing alike. Here is how buffers and barriers really work, with the math.
Read →Get the monthly review by email
One email a month: the notes we liked, the ones we passed on, and why. No spam, no pitch.