I often refer to covered calls as the third leg of a balanced, income-focused investment approach. (Three legs because it takes at least that many to make any chair or table stable and functional—the others are cash flow with high-yield stocks like in the Dividend Hunter and stocks consistently growing dividends like those in my […]
Dividend Investing
This Monthly Payer Needs to Find a Home In One of My Portfolios
This year, I developed a great interest in funds, usually ETFs, that use covered call strategies to boost the dividend income paid to investors. I currently include three of this type of funds on my Dividend Hunter recommendations list. Beyond these, I have put together a list of more than 20 covered call ETFs, and […]
How Often are Dividends Typically Paid on Stocks?
Investing in dividend stocks is a great way to grow your wealth. “Most dividends are cash dividends, which are cash payments made on a per-share basis to investors. For instance, if a company pays a dividend of 20 cents per share, an investor with 100 shares would receive $20 in cash. Stock dividends are a […]
This Closed-End Fund is a Rare Junkyard Gem
Because I research and recommend high-yield investments, I often receive questions about individual closed-end funds, sometimes referred to as CEFs. According to CEF Connect, 285 closed-end funds yield between 5% and 28%. It is easy to understand why closed-end funds attract yield-hungry investors like moths to the flame. When asked about a closed-end fund, my […]
Two Dividend Stocks That Proved to Be Pandemic Proof
The coronavirus pandemic put the ultimate stress test on income investments. Hundreds of companies cut or suspended dividend payments. Companies that did not cut dividends through the pandemic should be high on the list for income-focused investors—and companies that grew their dividends in 2020 deserve gold stars and a place in your portfolio. In February […]
When Not to Sell Call Options
I’m often asked, “what are stock options?” by some of my newer readers. Stock options are derivatives based on the value of the stock and offer the trader the opportunity to buy or sell the stock at a stated price within a specific time. The most common option trades, especially for beginners, are covered calls. […]
Are Hotel REITs Attractive Again?
Many investors are playing the recovery trade, looking for those stocks and companies that are not yet out of the pandemic woods, but should see a substantial improvement in their business results as the economy continues to open. Hospitality and travel-related companies are popular stocks for this investment strategy. However, with the hospitality-related REITs, shares […]
What’s a Dividend Investor to Do With Transitory Inflation?
I am in the mood to ramble. (By that, I mean I’d like to share some thoughts about current broader themes affecting investing and the economy.) We have not seen this much uncertainty in the financial world since the Global Financial Crisis nearly 15 years ago. My work lets me follow the current financial news, […]
This Stock Now Pays Half of Each Quarter’s Profits As Dividends
After a year that featured tech stocks as the big winner, many investors (and television talking heads) have expressed shock that the energy sector leads the way so far in 2021. With the price of crude oil rising higher, the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) has gained 43% through the first five months of […]
Inflate Or Die!
Pundit Bill Bonner’s article, “Money-Printing Means Inflation for the U.S. Economy”, concludes: “It’s inflate or die. And if anyone gets in the way of inflation… the ‘active shooters’ – in both the private sector and the public sector – start gunning for them. Last week, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen came under fire for saying she might […]