Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Investing For Income

Why Invest For Income?

For me. investing is all about creating cash flow and income.
If I did not receive a return on my assets without having to do more work, then I would not bother with investing.

It is all well to invest in Google, Tesla or Amazon. They may be good stocks, at least two of them are, and I do own some Google and Amazon stock.
stacks of $100 bills, cash flow from dividends can soon build wealth
Cash Flow is King

But non of these stocks pay a dividend. Did I say that I love dividends?

Well most of my portfolio is made up of stock paying a dividend some monthly, some quarterly, some every six months or so and some only pay once per year. But I love that cash flow that comes with a dividend.

I hate wondering if I need to think about selling a stock. Has it made enough money for me? Is it distorting my portfolio? Is it time to rebalance? Questions? Questions? Questions?

With a dividend stock I can buy more with a dividend re-investment plan (DRIP). I can take cash and re-distribute that cash into other stock, or I can take the cash and spend it.

Love it!

How do I choose a dividend stock?


First I look for a stock that is making a positive cash flow, and has done so over several quarters or years.

Then I look at the current yield of the stock. All dividend stocks show a yield in respect to their current share price. I like a 1.5 to 3.2 percent current yield.





You do not want to get carried away with a dividend yield. Too high can mean that a stock is too low in price, so may have other issues or it may be funding its dividend by borrowing.

The 1% to 3% area is a sweet spot. Giving a company a chance to grow its dividend and not stretching its income too much and there by giving it cash to grow its bottom line.

Most dividends are just a few cents per share, most of my stock pays in the region of 40 cents per share, but do not concern yourself with that. Buy ten shares paying 40 cents and you earn $4 or 100 shares and a dividend of $40 will be winging its way into your pocket or portfolio.  Compunding is the key here.



Lots of 1 cents make up a dividend income of $1,000 in time. I earn several thousand dollars from my income in dividends per year. Enough to make a car payment every month, or keep me in Starbucks coffee every day. But at the moment I prefer just to re-invest the cash back into more stock.

I generally do not concern myself with daily fluctuations of the stock market. If I need another $10 in a particular month I add to a stock paying in that month or one paying the $10 over the year.

As time passes you find that your dividend yield over cost is what matters, not the current yield.

For instance You buy a stock yielding 2% it increases its dividend annually, the stock price rises, but the yield on a daily basis falls. The stock you bought initially will still be paying you 2% and subsequent purchases will change your overall percentage yield over time, the stock always pays you the yield at the time of purchase. Buying over the long term and holding means that you have little bundles of stock paying 2%, 1.8%, 6%, 0.9% and so on so your yield on cost could grow.

At present I have one portfolio paying a 4.32% yield on cost where the average yield is only 2.65%. Just because some of the stock was bought back in 2008 when stock price were low and yields jumped for many stocks during the Financial Crisis.







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