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3 Top-Ranked Dividend Stocks: A Smarter Way to Boost Your Retirement Income
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Here's an eye-opening statistic: older Americans are more afraid of running out of money than of death itself.
And retirees have good reason to be worried about making their assets last. People are living longer, so that money has to cover a longer period. Making matters worse, income generated using tried-and-true retirement planning approaches may not cover expenses these days. That means seniors must dip into principal to meet living expenses.
The tried-and-true retirement investing approach of yesterday doesn't work today.
In the past, investors going into retirement could invest in bonds and count on attractive yields to produce steady, reliable income streams to fund a predictable retirement. 10-year Treasury bond rates in the late 1990s hovered around 6.50%, whereas the current rate is much lower.
While this yield reduction may not seem drastic, it adds up: for a $1 million investment in 10-year Treasuries, the rate drop means a difference in yield of more than $1 million.
In addition to the considerable drop in bond yields, today's retirees are nervous about their future Social Security benefits. Because of certain demographic factors, it's been estimated that the funds that pay the Social Security benefits will run out of money in 2035.
So what can retirees do? You could dramatically reduce your expenses, and go out on a limb hoping your Social Security benefits don't diminish. On the other hand, you could opt for an alternative investment that gives a steady, higher-rate income stream to supplant lessening bond yields.
Invest in Dividend Stocks
Dividend-paying stocks from low-risk, high-quality companies are a smart way to generate steady and reliable attractive income streams to replace low risk, low yielding Treasury and bond options.
Look for stocks that have paid steady, increasing dividends for years (or decades), and have not cut their dividends even during recessions.
Going beyond those familiar names, you can find excellent dividend-paying stocks by following a few guidelines. Look for companies that pay a dividend yield of around 3%, with positive annual dividend growth. The growth rate is key to help combat the effects of inflation.
Here are three dividend-paying stocks retirees should consider for their nest egg portfolio.
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY - Free Report) is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.57 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.17%. This compares to the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry's yield of 0% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.69%. The company's annualized dividend growth in the past year was 10.2%. Check Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY - Free Report) dividend history here>>>
Preferred Bank (PFBC - Free Report) is paying out a dividend of $0.55 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 3.09% compared to the Banks - West industry's yield of 2.46% and the S&P 500's yield. The annualized dividend growth of the company was 13.16% over the past year. Check Preferred Bank (PFBC - Free Report) dividend history here>>>
Currently paying a dividend of $1.5 per share, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (PNC - Free Report) has a dividend yield of 3.76%. This is compared to the Banks - Major Regional industry's yield of 3.28% and the S&P 500's current yield. Annualized dividend growth for the company in the past year was 20%. Check The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (PNC - Free Report) dividend history here>>>
But aren't stocks generally more risky than bonds?
It is true that stocks, as an asset class, carry more risk than bonds, but high-quality dividend stocks not only have the ability to produce income growth over time but more importantly, can also reduce your overall portfolio volatility relative to the broader stock market.
An upside to adding dividend stocks to your retirement portfolio: they can help lessen the effects of inflation, since many dividend-paying companies (especially blue chip stocks) generally increase their dividends over time.
Thinking about dividend-focused mutual funds or ETFs? Watch out for fees.
If you prefer investing in funds or ETFs compared to individual stocks, you can still pursue a dividend income strategy. However, it's important to know the fees charged by each fund or ETF, which can ultimately reduce your dividend income, working against your strategy. Do your homework and make sure you know the fees charged by any fund before you invest.
Bottom Line
Regardless of whether you select high-quality, low-fee funds or stocks, looking for a steady stream of income from dividend-paying equities can potentially lead you to a solid and more peaceful retirement.
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3 Top-Ranked Dividend Stocks: A Smarter Way to Boost Your Retirement Income
Here's an eye-opening statistic: older Americans are more afraid of running out of money than of death itself.
And retirees have good reason to be worried about making their assets last. People are living longer, so that money has to cover a longer period. Making matters worse, income generated using tried-and-true retirement planning approaches may not cover expenses these days. That means seniors must dip into principal to meet living expenses.
The tried-and-true retirement investing approach of yesterday doesn't work today.
In the past, investors going into retirement could invest in bonds and count on attractive yields to produce steady, reliable income streams to fund a predictable retirement. 10-year Treasury bond rates in the late 1990s hovered around 6.50%, whereas the current rate is much lower.
While this yield reduction may not seem drastic, it adds up: for a $1 million investment in 10-year Treasuries, the rate drop means a difference in yield of more than $1 million.
In addition to the considerable drop in bond yields, today's retirees are nervous about their future Social Security benefits. Because of certain demographic factors, it's been estimated that the funds that pay the Social Security benefits will run out of money in 2035.
So what can retirees do? You could dramatically reduce your expenses, and go out on a limb hoping your Social Security benefits don't diminish. On the other hand, you could opt for an alternative investment that gives a steady, higher-rate income stream to supplant lessening bond yields.
Invest in Dividend Stocks
Dividend-paying stocks from low-risk, high-quality companies are a smart way to generate steady and reliable attractive income streams to replace low risk, low yielding Treasury and bond options.
Look for stocks that have paid steady, increasing dividends for years (or decades), and have not cut their dividends even during recessions.
Going beyond those familiar names, you can find excellent dividend-paying stocks by following a few guidelines. Look for companies that pay a dividend yield of around 3%, with positive annual dividend growth. The growth rate is key to help combat the effects of inflation.
Here are three dividend-paying stocks retirees should consider for their nest egg portfolio.
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY - Free Report) is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.57 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.17%. This compares to the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry's yield of 0% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.69%. The company's annualized dividend growth in the past year was 10.2%. Check Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY - Free Report) dividend history here>>>
Preferred Bank (PFBC - Free Report) is paying out a dividend of $0.55 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 3.09% compared to the Banks - West industry's yield of 2.46% and the S&P 500's yield. The annualized dividend growth of the company was 13.16% over the past year. Check Preferred Bank (PFBC - Free Report) dividend history here>>>
Currently paying a dividend of $1.5 per share, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (PNC - Free Report) has a dividend yield of 3.76%. This is compared to the Banks - Major Regional industry's yield of 3.28% and the S&P 500's current yield. Annualized dividend growth for the company in the past year was 20%. Check The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (PNC - Free Report) dividend history here>>>
But aren't stocks generally more risky than bonds?
It is true that stocks, as an asset class, carry more risk than bonds, but high-quality dividend stocks not only have the ability to produce income growth over time but more importantly, can also reduce your overall portfolio volatility relative to the broader stock market.
An upside to adding dividend stocks to your retirement portfolio: they can help lessen the effects of inflation, since many dividend-paying companies (especially blue chip stocks) generally increase their dividends over time.
Thinking about dividend-focused mutual funds or ETFs? Watch out for fees.
If you prefer investing in funds or ETFs compared to individual stocks, you can still pursue a dividend income strategy. However, it's important to know the fees charged by each fund or ETF, which can ultimately reduce your dividend income, working against your strategy. Do your homework and make sure you know the fees charged by any fund before you invest.
Bottom Line
Regardless of whether you select high-quality, low-fee funds or stocks, looking for a steady stream of income from dividend-paying equities can potentially lead you to a solid and more peaceful retirement.