Author Archive: Brett Owens

Dividend growth is one of the keys to a strong retirement portfolio (and 12% annual gains forever). While any stock boasting a big stated yield is sure to grab your attention, if that dividend isn’t growing, it’s actually shrinking (as inflation eats up more and more of that income every year.)

That’s why I regularly keep my eye on dividend increases … and why I’m looking at a bundle of stocks that are very likely to up the ante on their regular payouts over the next few months.

If you’re an income investor, it’s increasingly important to focus on dividend growth because – guess what?… Read more

Plenty of income investors say they are in it for the dividends. But they mistakenly fixate on erratic (and irrelevant) charts like these:

This Chart Will Cost You Money…

Instead of charts with actionable information – like these:

… While This One Will Make You Wealthy

The first chart was price-only, a source of agony for many investors. While the second was quarterly dividends, with this example representing the perfect passive income stream for any retiree.

The latter is often available at a discount because the former – the share price of Omega Healthcare (OHI) – keeps its “ticker watchers” busy.… Read more

The hotel industry is one of the more underappreciated income segments of the market thanks to low-yield big names like Hilton (HLT) and Choice Hotels (CHH) that operate and franchise hotels. Today, we’ll explore the dividend-rich side of hospitality via a trio of hotel REITs (real estate investment trusts) yielding up to 7% that invest in upper-echelon hotel and resort real estate.

The hotel industry is booming as America’s economic recovery continues. In 2016, hotel revenues across the board climbed more than 4% to hit nearly $200 billion – a record high. Meanwhile, STR and Tourism Economics forecast that U.S. hotels will continue chugging up the mountain over the next few years.… Read more

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can be an easy “one-click way” to diversify your dividends. Instead of grinding on the viability of any single payout stream, why not build a basket of them?

But be careful – some pooled payouts are all bad and don’t even keep up with the broader market. In a minute, we’ll review ten dividend dogs masquerading around under the perceived “diversification safety” that ETFs provide.

Make no mistake, there’s a recent rush to ETFs. The 2016 U.S. Exchange Traded Funds Study by Greenwich Associates shows that institutional investors, including pension funds, are increasingly pouring their money into ETFs, from 18.9% of all ETF assets in 2015 to 21.2% last year.… Read more

The ideal “no withdrawal” retirement portfolio is a diversified one. Since you’re reading this, I know you know stocks. But how comfortable are you buying bonds – especially the more obscure issues (which provide the best yields and value?)

Probably not as comfortable as you are with good ol’ dividend paying stocks. But here’s the good news – it doesn’t matter.

You can diversify your portfolio, bank safe 9% yields and hire one of the best bond managers on the planet. For free, to boot! It just requires a bit of contrarian thinking – and knowing which publicly traded funds these guys are managing behind the scenes.… Read more

The annual “sell in May and go away” period for stocks is nearly upon us, and many investors are worried about Wall Street starting to take profits from the market’s go-go run since November. Me? I’m looking for high-quality, high-yield dividend plays that you can buy in May – or June, or July, or whenever – and never sell.

Today, we’re going to discuss two 7%-plus yielders that fit any “no withdrawal” portfolio perfectly.

They are preferred stocks – wonderful “hybrids” that offer aspects of both stocks and bonds. Preferred stocks can trade on an exchange just like any common stock, but they trade around a par value and dole out a fixed regular payment just like a bond.… Read more

Amazon.com (AMZN) is eating everything retail alive – including most retail REITs. As a result, the entire sector is selling at fire prices – leaving us with a select handful of underappreciated bargains.

Why the panic? Amazon has completely transformed retail over the past decade or so, starting with books, but expanding into just about every corner of the traditional retail market – clothes, electronics, home goods and even staples like toilet paper and laundry detergent. The company gobbled up $98 billion in “electronics and other general merchandise” sales across all of 2016 – an expansion of nearly 30% that shows Amazon’s growth in e-tailing is still rampant.… Read more

A high dividend yield can be the ultimate retirement holding. Or it can be a trap.

Today, I’m going to show you five stocks with mouth-watering yields of between 6% and 23% that are tomorrow’s dividend disasters. If you own shares in any of these firms, sell them now.

Don’t “ride these stocks down” like RadioShack shareholders did when the nearly century-old former electronics retailing giant that filed for bankruptcy protection in 2015.

RadioShack suspended its dividend in July 2012. The warning signs were there, but no one listened. Revenues had been in constant decline since their peak 16 years earlier, debts were mounting, ratings agencies were downgrading RadioShack’s bonds.… Read more