Author Archive: Brett Owens

I told you that the Infracap MLP ETF (AMZA) was a dog. Well, the fund just cut its dividend by 37%.

This is one of the biggest ETF payout cuts in recent memory, and it’s a gut punch to shareholders who rode out massive underperformance for the income tradeoff. That payout mattered. Just look at the difference between price returns and total returns in the chart below:

Just because a yield is wrapped in a fancy ETF wrapping doesn’t mean it’s safe.

This ETF dividend slash could be the first of several. So let’s talk about three ETFs – which pay between about 9% and 24% – whose dividends are far from secure.… Read more

The stock market is overdue for a correction (to say the least). And when the rising tide pulls back, certain dividend dogs will be exposed.

It’s all well and good to chase 5% and 6% dividends as “bond proxies” when the market continually grinds higher. It’s another story when stocks begin to wobble – and an entire year’s worth of yield is jeopardized in a down week!

Of course some dividend stocks will hold up just fine. But we’re going to pick on three that are likely to be exposed when the bullish music stops.

Gladstone Investment (GAIN)
Dividend Yield: 6.8%

Back in July, I highlighted Gladstone Investment Corporation (GAIN) as a business development company stud amidst a pair of BDC duds.… Read more

“First-level” investors – those who buy and sell on headlines – mistakenly believe that real estate investment trust (REIT) profits will suffer if rates rise.

Sure, in the short run, the “rates up, REITs down” theory puts on quite the show. When the 10-Year Treasury’s yield rises, REITs usually fall. And when its yield drops, REITs usually rally. This inverse relationship tends to hold up over multiple days, weeks and even months:

A Short-Run Seesaw Between REITs and T-Bill Yields

However the “long view” shows that many of these short-term moves are merely noise. It is possible for REITs and higher rates to coexist in profitable harmony:

But Long-Run REITs and High Rates Can Co-Exist

Investors who are bailing on REITs are missing out, because they are currently paying their highest yields this decade:

Highest REIT Yields Since the Financial Crisis

Most income hounds get it wrong.… Read more

If you want to clobber the market in 2018—and beyond—then buying companies with accelerating dividends is an absolute must.

And I’ve got good news for you: there’s never been a better time to buy them.

That’s because dividend growth is on a sugar high: on January 6, research firm IHS Markit predicted that global dividends would jump 10% this year—a new record.

What’s more, if you’re looking to grow your nest egg fast, you’re in luck, because accelerating dividends are the beating heart of my personal 3-step system for banking 12% annual returns for life.

I’ll tell you all about this safe, simple approach, and why that 12% number is vital, in just a moment.… Read more

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) shattered growth records in 2017, with inflows topping $464 billion last year. The global ETF market now boasts more than $4.5 trillion in assets, and a large part of the appeal has been driven by dirt-cheap fees.

But many of these fund’s fees are “cheap for a reason.” We’ll talk about five today that lure investors in with appealing current yields – but then proceed to dump their dumb money out the back door.

These five funds may have sweet dividend yields, but they have produced sour total return results thanks to one fundamental flaw or another.

ETRACS Linked to the Wells Fargo Business Development Company Index ETN (BDCS)
Dividend Yield: 8.7%

One of the most basic appeals of the exchange-traded fund is the cheap diversification they provide.… Read more

While most income investors are reaching for big yields right now, a small group of “hidden yield” stocks are quietly handing smart investors growing income streams plus annual returns of 12%, 27.1% and even 54% or more per year.

So if you want to double your money every few years – and double your income as well – then you need to focus on the seven stocks I’m about to share.

Rule #1: Dedicate Some Cash to Dividend Growth

As I wrote in this month’s edition of the Contrarian Income Report, our portfolio pays 7.5% today. And I can even get you 8.3% yields on new money, by focusing on our seven best buys.… Read more

Lately, I’ve heard more real estate bulls touting rental property as the perfect retirement investment.

Truth be told, it can be.

You probably know people who’ve built a nice income stream in their golden years from a well-chosen set of rentals.

Trouble is, there’s a big—and too-often glossed over—problem with being a property baron: it’s not the easy ride housing fans make it out to be! That is, unless you like being on duty 24/7 to fix clogged toilets, chase down deadbeat tenants and deal with noise complaints.

I don’t know about you, but that’s not how I plan to spend my golden years.… Read more

Business development companies (BDCs) are one of the market’s top sources of yield. Unfortunately for income hunters, in 2017, this industry also was one of Wall Street’s greatest sources of disappointment.

I don’t say that to condemn the BDC space. I say that as a warning: While these financiers of small and midsize businesses can occasionally be excellent long-term holdings, there are plenty of landmines to avoid. That’s why today, I want to highlight three such funds that have mouthwatering yields of up to 12% – each of which might look attractive at first glance, but only one of which looks like a safe buy right now.… Read more

It’s essential for core dividend holdings to consistently raise their payouts over time. Without a steady uptick in the regular dole, inflation starts gnawing into investors’ returns. That dollar becomes 98 cents, becomes 96 cents, and – you get the picture.

And it’s especially important to keep tabs on the dividend growth of your real estate investment trusts (REITs). I want to buy REITs that are constantly raising their rent. Larger and larger rent checks create growing dividend checks for us!

Over the long run, REIT share prices move higher as their dividends move higher. These payouts also provide downside for lean years like last year, when the dividend was about all we got:

2017 wasn’t a fun year for REIT investors, with the Vanguard REIT ETF (VNQ) coming in essentially flat for the year without including dividends.… Read more

No safe bond pays 10% itself, of course. But it is possible to generate double-digit yields from a portfolio of secure bonds.

The secret is similar to successful dividend investing. Why buy a stock and be content pocketing “only its dividend” when you can have the payout with price upside to boot?

Most income investors are even less thoughtful when they purchase bonds. They fixate on the coupon rate (which these days they are inevitably disappointed with.) They watch their bonds weigh down their entire portfolio, muttering to themselves “at least they are safe.”

Well, sure. But they can be both safe and profitable.… Read more