RiverNorth Flexible Municipal Income II aims to exploit CEF discounts in the municipal bond space but delivers sub-market, unattractive income. RFMZ's 7.9% distribution is misleading; only 3.16% is true income, with the rest being return of capital—well below competing muni funds. The fund's strategy of capturing CEF discount-to-NAV reversion has not worked in practice, as evidenced by persistently low real yields.
RFMZ offers exposure to both muni CEFs and individual bonds, but high leverage and layered fees limit its appeal for municipal bond investors. The fund's managed distribution policy boosts yield, but coverage is weak, and much of the payout is tax-deferred return of capital, not tax-exempt income. RFMZ and its sister funds are best used as swap candidates to exploit discount/premium differentials, but current discounts are less compelling.