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Improve Your Retirement Income with These 3 Top-Ranked Dividend Stocks

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Strange but true: seniors fear death less than running out of money in retirement.

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.

That means if you had $1 million in 10-year Treasuries, the difference in yield between 1999 and today is more than $1 million.

Today's retirees are getting hit hard by reduced bond yields - and the Social Security picture isn't too rosy either. Right now and for the near future, Social Security benefits are still being paid, but it has been estimated that the Social Security funds will be depleted as soon as 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

As a replacement for low yielding Treasury bonds (and other bond options), we believe dividend-paying stocks from high quality companies offer low risk and stable, predictable income investors in retirement seek.

Look for stocks that have paid steady, increasing dividends for years (or decades), and have not cut their dividends even during recessions.

A rule of thumb for finding solid income-producing stocks is to seek those that average 3% dividend yield, and positive yearly dividend growth. These stocks can help combat inflation by boosting dividends over time.

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 1.62%. 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 3.07% compared to the Banks - West industry's yield of 2.43% 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 3.62%. This is compared to the Banks - Major Regional industry's yield of 3.21% 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?

The fact is that stocks, as an asset class, carry more risk than bonds. To counterbalance this, invest in superior quality dividend stocks that not only can grow over time but more significantly, can also decrease your overall portfolio volatility with respect 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.

You may be thinking, "I like this dividend strategy, but instead of investing in individual stocks, I'm going to find a dividend-focused mutual fund or ETF." This approach can make sense, but be aware that some mutual funds and specialized ETFs carry high fees, which may reduce your dividend gains or income, and defeat the goal of this dividend investment approach. If you do wish to invest in a fund, do your research to find the best-quality dividend funds with the lowest fees.

Bottom Line

Whether you select high-quality, low-fee funds or stocks, seeking the steady income of dividend-paying equities can potentially offer you a path to a better and more stress-free retirement.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (PNC) - free report >>

Bristol Myers Squibb Company (BMY) - free report >>

Preferred Bank (PFBC) - free report >>

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