With the stock market in a downturn, my publisher says fewer people are signing up for newsletters because they’re sitting on their hands. Fear has taken control. I would think that with stock prices going down, investors would be looking for ideas and strategies that let them weather the decline without giving in to the urge to sell and lock in losses.

Fear and greed can drive investors—particularly those without a solid plan or strategy—which leads to buying high and selling low. I interact with hundreds of investors and see the power of fear when the stock prices fall.

I recently read that the S&P 500 has experienced thirty five percent-or-greater declines since 2009. The current decline is at about eight percent. Yet the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) has gained 558% since January 1, 2010. Buy-and-hold works over the long term, but you have to find a way to handle your fear, especially when the market goes through a true bear market, of which there have been a half dozen since 2009.

My Dividend Hunter investment strategy lets you invest for the long term without suffering from fear and greed or experiencing the angst of a 20%-plus bear market.

With the newsletter, I recommend a portfolio of high-yield stocks. I coach that if you’re investing for high-yield dividends, you should measure your success by the income your portfolio generates. This leads to a couple of truths about income investing.

·       The big one: You have to own shares to earn dividends. Stocks and ETFs pay monthly or quarterly dividends, and a high-yield portfolio will earn dividends every week. This fact rules out trying to time the market.

·       Every share you buy pays dividends. If you add new money or reinvest dividends, you will accumulate shares and grow your income.

·       Many income stocks and ETFs have policies of dividend growth, providing organic gains for your income.

You can see that if you invest for income, you will always be “in the market,” which is not a bad thing. Positively sloped markets are as tough to predict as downturns. I like to say to subscribers that with the Dividend Hunter, we buy shares when prices are high, low, or moving up or down.

We measure success differently. Quarterly income is the Dividend Hunter success metric. If you follow my guidance, your income will grow every quarter. I have been tracking mine since 2018. Imagine the peace of mind knowing your investment strategy will bring continuous success.

So how much income can you earn? The Dividend Hunter portfolio has a current average yield of about 10%. If you reinvest your dividends, your income will grow at a 10% annual compound rate. And to repeat myself, your income will always grow.

It’s easy to start taking dividends as your retirement income if or when you decide to retire. No guessing how much you can withdraw. No taking a “pay cut” when the stock markets go down.

I follow the Dividend Hunter with the most significant portion of my portfolio. I have a roughly $400k retirement account from which I share results with my Dividend Hunter subscribers every quarter.