Author Archive: Brett Owens

Last week, I accomplished something that had been on my “to do” list for no less than three months.

I figured out how to log into my 401(K)!

You would think a simple “password reset” would not be that difficult, especially for a guy who has started a software company or three in his day. Well, I’m not embarrassed, just glad that my long personal investing nightmare is over.

What is it about 401(K) access? It’s a circus when we try to log into my wife’s retirement plan, too. (Any task that starts with “logging into her company’s VPN” is off to a rough start.)… Read more

Be careful with conventional “wisdom”—especially when it comes to dividend investing. Some investors are so scared of a payout cut that they chase too-popular yields and watch their money grind sideways for years on end.

This safety trap is especially tempting in 2020, with dividend cuts happening left and right. We’ve had 639 publicly traded US companies reduce or eliminate their payouts in the second quarter alone, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.

If you’ve been burned by a payout cut this year, the small consolation is you’re far from alone. Many folks were caught off guard when big names like Ford (F), Wells Fargo (WFC) and senior-care REIT Welltower (WELL) slashed or ceased their dividends.… Read more

If your dividend portfolio is like that of most investors I know, you’re probably getting paid quarterly. That’s too slow, especially for dividend payments that are most likely too low.

Why not up that frequency to a monthly payout, and increase the total yield while we’re at it?

The secret to monthly payouts that add up to 9.1%, 9.4% and even 10.8% yields per year is a simple three-letter acronym: C-E-F.

For whatever reason, closed-end funds (CEFs) don’t have nearly the following that popular dividend-paying stocks boast. This “secret” is one of the last great efficiencies in an otherwise tough-to-beat market.… Read more

It’s August, it’s hot, we’re all still quasi-captives…and the collective love for stocks is getting downright steamy.

Investors have not felt this passionate about equities since January. That was, ominously, the last time the “Dumb Money” confidence level marched down from ebullient levels. Here’s a look at the “Smart/Dumb Money Confidence” chart produced by our friend Jason Goepfert at SentimenTrader (who was kind to let us republish here):

The Dumb Money is named so for a reason—it’s made up of the investors who are always late to the party. They pile in at market tops and bail at bottoms, while their “Smart Money” counterparts (fundamental-focused managers) take their lunch money.… Read more

What are we dividend investors to make of this presidential election? Are we supposed to buy now or wait to see what happens in November?

Before we get into that—and discuss a 10.7% dividend that’s very appealing pre–E-Day—there’s one thing we must do: set aside our personal politics and stay laser-focused on the investing angle here.

With that said, there are two things I see as likely no matter who wins this thing:

• A post-election rally: According to Deutsche Bank global chief strategist Binky Chadha, stocks typically rally 5% from Election Day until the end of the year when an election is close, regardless of the result.

These 31 dividends are more than just safe. They are likely going up between now and October!

Recently, S&P Dow Jones Indices’ Howard Silverblatt put a hard number on 2020’s tough dividend decay, writing that second-quarter payouts were whittled down by $42.5 billion during the second quarter. The worst might now be over. Here’s a key excerpt from Silverblatt’s latest note about the month of July (emphasis mine):

“There were significantly fewer dividend actions, as 15 issues increased their dividend rates, one issue initiated dividends, two decreased them (including Wells Fargo’s USD 6.8 billion cut, the second-largest in index history), and one suspended them.… Read more

Historically speaking, it’s best to avoid bonds when your central bank is printing money like crazy. More cash can lead to inflation, which can lead to higher interest rates—and put a damper on any fixed-rate holdings.

But not all bonds are bad ideas. Some have their coupons tick higher with rates. Others can even provide you with the upside of a stock! Let’s review US-centric fixed income, starting with the “outhouse” and working our way up to the “penthouse” quality bonds paying as much as 8% today.

US Treasuries: For 0.5%, Why?

Ten-year Treasuries pay just 0.5% or so as I write.… Read more

I don’t know why you’d try to cobble together an income stream with miserly ETFs when there are plenty of closed-end funds (CEFs) trading at big discounts, even after the huge market rebound we’ve seen since March.

What’s more, many of these CEFs are throwing off life-changing 7%+ payouts!

Why are we seeing some great deals in CEFs now? Because the folks who invest in these funds tend to be slower to react to events than the jumpy crowd holding the typical S&P 500 stock. That lag gives us a nice opportunity to buy while these funds’ prices are still deeply discounted from the value of the assets in their portfolios (a figure known as the net asset value, or NAV).… Read more

“Money printer go brrrrrrrrr!”

This humorous investor war cry making the social media rounds these days is all you need to know about the Federal Reserve’s tactics to fight off the coronavirus. Jerome Powell is printing money like there’s no tomorrow.

In fact, since March, he’s created more than $3 trillion fresh dollars! This has been the largest money creation event in the history of the planet.

Powell Prints, Money Supply Soars

More money is lousy news for each outstanding greenback. The US dollar is starting to tailspin lower thanks to a flood of supply:

More Dollars Means Each One is Worth Less

What dividends do we buy when the dollar is weak?… Read more

“Brett, how you hanging in there?” My CPA leaned into his computer on our latest Zoom call.

“Well, every time Gavin Newsom talks, my life seems to get a bit worse.” (The governor of California had just announced that public and private schools would not open in the fall.)

He cracked up. “That comment reminds me of a column you wrote years ago about (then Fed Chair) Janet Yellen. Something about Yellen yapping and closed-end funds (CEFs) rising?”

“Right. Poor Janet. She sure was level-headed compared to (current Fed Chair) Jay Powell. Every time Powell speaks, gold pops!”

The reason is obvious.… Read more