The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that generating income is foundational for retirement planning and it's in focus again as inflation concerns loom over bond and dividend yields. In a Globe special, Joel Schlesinger writes that among the more popular vehicles are covered-call exchange-traded funds paying monthly distributions chiefly from call option premiums. Chris McHaney at Global X Investments in Toronto says covered-call ETFs can be valuable for investors at the decumulation stage. Often, these products provide monthly distributions that are double the annual yield of bonds and dividends without selling capital, with most income generated by tax-efficient option premiums. Global X offers several covered-call ETFs, with funds for broad indexes, sectors, commodities, fixed income and even cryptocurrencies. Covered-call ETFs' high monthly income has attracted a lot of buzz since the world's first, BMO Covered Call Canadian Banks ETF, launched in 2011. Still, covered-call ETFs draw mixed reviews, with some experts arguing that the strategy's total return underperforms comparable non-covered-call ETFs over the long term; investors collect an income premium in exchange for giving up some future upside.