Compare investments: one scale for everything

Comparing a CD, a Treasury, a muni and a REIT is hard because each quotes its return differently and is taxed differently. An investment comparison tool puts them on one scale. IncomeGrid helps you discover higher-yield income opportunities you may not have looked at, so you can earn more on the same money. It has 40,000+ investment options screened, each with its yield, after-tax yield and a risk level from 1 to 5.

What to compare

Factor	Why it matters
After-tax yield	What you keep – after federal, state and each investment type tax
Risk level	Credit, price and liquidity risk
Term / maturity	When you get the principal back
Liquidity	How fast you can sell or withdraw
Costs	Fund expenses and trading costs
Income frequency	Monthly, quarterly, at maturity

Why comparison tools usually miss tax

Most comparisons show headline yields. But Treasury interest skips state tax, munis often skip federal tax, and qualified dividends get lower rates – so the ranking changes for each person. IncomeGrid ranks every item by yield after tax for where you live: after federal, state and each investment type tax (Treasuries, municipal bonds, corporate bonds, funds, REITs and filed offerings are each taxed differently).

How IncomeGrid compares

The finder lists 40,000+ investment options screened – Treasuries, agency, municipal, company and foreign government bonds, bond and money-market funds, REITs and SEC-filed offerings – each with its yield, after-tax yield for where you live, and a risk level 1–5 from a published method. Sort and filter to discover higher-yield income opportunities you might have missed.

Do it by hand

For two options, use the after-tax yield calculator, or tax-equivalent yield for a tax-free vs taxable pair.

Common comparison traps

Comparing APY on a deposit with a fund's distribution yield – they measure different things.
Ignoring that a bond bought above face value will lose the premium by maturity.
Comparing a tax-free muni with a taxable bond without converting.
Comparing investments of very different risk on yield alone.
Using last year's rate on a variable-rate product.

Why compare more than a few

Most people compare two or three products they already know. Looking across thousands of options at once is how you discover higher-yield income opportunities that wouldn't otherwise come up.

How IncomeGrid helps you earn more

IncomeGrid helps you discover higher-yield income opportunities you may not have looked at, so you can earn more on the same money. It has 40,000+ investment options screened, each with its yield, after-tax yield and a risk level from 1 to 5. Choose where you live and every yield is shown after federal, state and each investment type tax, so you can see which options pay you more.

Compare investments now → or browse example income portfolios

Frequently asked questions

How do I compare two investments?

Put both on after-tax yield, then compare risk, term, liquidity and costs.

Is there a free investment comparison tool?

Yes – IncomeGrid's the finder is free to browse. Not investment advice.

Why does after-tax yield change the ranking?

Because each type of income is taxed differently by federal and state rules.

Not investment advice. General information only; yields change, check the source before acting.