My investment goal is to generate a reliable and growing stream of income from a portfolio of stocks. I have a preference for high-yield investments because they generate more income, but there's almost always a trade-off to be made: The higher the yield, the greater the trade-off.

With that in mind, I wouldn't touch AGNC Investment (NASDAQ: AGNC) with a 10-foot pole, because the trade-offs are just too great for me.

AGNC Investment is structured as a real estate investment trust (REIT). I like this corporate structure because it's designed to pass income on to investors and avoids corporate-level taxation. Put a REIT into a tax-advantaged Roth account and you can avoid taxes altogether. But AGNC isn't a typical REIT. It's a mortgage REIT.

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Source Fool.com