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3 Top Dividend Stocks to Maximize Your Retirement Income
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Believe it or not, seniors fear running out of cash more than they fear dying.
And unfortunately, even retirees who have built a nest egg have good reason to be concerned-with the traditional approaches to retirement planning, income may no longer cover expenses. That means retirees are dipping into principal to make ends meet, setting up a race against time between dwindling investment balances and longer lifespans.
Retirement investing approaches of the past don'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.
The effect of this drop in rates is substantial: over 20 years, the change in yield for a $1 million investment in 10-year Treasuries is over $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's a retiree to do? You could cut your expenses to the bone, and take the risk that your Social Security checks don't shrink. Or you could find an alternative investment that provides a steady, higher-rate income stream to replace dwindling bond yields.
Invest in Dividend Stocks
We feel that these dividend-paying equities-as long as they are from high-quality, low-risk issuers-can give retirement investors a smart option to replace low-yielding Treasury bonds (or other bonds).
Look for stocks that have paid steady, increasing dividends for years (or decades), and have not cut their dividends even during recessions.
One approach to recognizing appropriate stocks is to look for companies with an average dividend yield of 3% and positive average annual dividend growth. Numerous stocks hike dividends over time, counterbalancing inflation risks.
Here are three dividend-paying stocks retirees should consider for their nest egg portfolio.
Shell (SHEL - Free Report) is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.78 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.80%. This compares to the Oil and Gas - Integrated - International industry's yield of 0% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.40%. The company's annualized dividend growth in the past year was 4.07%. Check Shell dividend history here>>>
Sunstone Hotel Investors (SHO) is paying out a dividend of $0.09 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 3.04% compared to the REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry's yield of 4.03% and the S&P 500's yield. The annualized dividend growth of the company was 20% over the past year. Check Sunstone Hotel Investors dividend history here>>>
Currently paying a dividend of $0.39 per share, Stag Industrial (STAG) has a dividend yield of 4.03%. This is compared to the REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry's yield of 4.03% and the S&P 500's current yield. Annualized dividend growth for the company in the past year was 0.68%. Check Stag Industrial 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.
If you're interested in investing in dividends, but are thinking about mutual funds or ETFs rather than stocks, beware of fees. Mutual funds and specialized ETFs may carry high fees, which could lower the overall gains you earn from dividends, undercutting your dividend income strategy. Be sure to look for funds with low fees if you decide on this approach.
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.
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3 Top Dividend Stocks to Maximize Your Retirement Income
Believe it or not, seniors fear running out of cash more than they fear dying.
And unfortunately, even retirees who have built a nest egg have good reason to be concerned-with the traditional approaches to retirement planning, income may no longer cover expenses. That means retirees are dipping into principal to make ends meet, setting up a race against time between dwindling investment balances and longer lifespans.
Retirement investing approaches of the past don'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.
The effect of this drop in rates is substantial: over 20 years, the change in yield for a $1 million investment in 10-year Treasuries is over $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's a retiree to do? You could cut your expenses to the bone, and take the risk that your Social Security checks don't shrink. Or you could find an alternative investment that provides a steady, higher-rate income stream to replace dwindling bond yields.
Invest in Dividend Stocks
We feel that these dividend-paying equities-as long as they are from high-quality, low-risk issuers-can give retirement investors a smart option to replace low-yielding Treasury bonds (or other bonds).
Look for stocks that have paid steady, increasing dividends for years (or decades), and have not cut their dividends even during recessions.
One approach to recognizing appropriate stocks is to look for companies with an average dividend yield of 3% and positive average annual dividend growth. Numerous stocks hike dividends over time, counterbalancing inflation risks.
Here are three dividend-paying stocks retirees should consider for their nest egg portfolio.
Shell (SHEL - Free Report) is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.78 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.80%. This compares to the Oil and Gas - Integrated - International industry's yield of 0% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.40%. The company's annualized dividend growth in the past year was 4.07%. Check Shell dividend history here>>>
Sunstone Hotel Investors (SHO) is paying out a dividend of $0.09 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 3.04% compared to the REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry's yield of 4.03% and the S&P 500's yield. The annualized dividend growth of the company was 20% over the past year. Check Sunstone Hotel Investors dividend history here>>>
Currently paying a dividend of $0.39 per share, Stag Industrial (STAG) has a dividend yield of 4.03%. This is compared to the REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry's yield of 4.03% and the S&P 500's current yield. Annualized dividend growth for the company in the past year was 0.68%. Check Stag Industrial 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.
If you're interested in investing in dividends, but are thinking about mutual funds or ETFs rather than stocks, beware of fees. Mutual funds and specialized ETFs may carry high fees, which could lower the overall gains you earn from dividends, undercutting your dividend income strategy. Be sure to look for funds with low fees if you decide on this approach.
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.