Author Archive: Brett Owens

Are you worried about a market meltdown in 2020? Fair enough–stocks went straight up for an entire decade, making a pullback more than due as we head into the 20s.

Now, more than ever, it’s vital that your portfolio is anchored by bulletproof dividend payers. If it’s not, read on, and I’ll introduce you to a few of the market’s five-star income plays—payouts so safe that even a worst-case recession scenario won’t touch them.

BofA Merrill Lynch analyst Michael Harnett, looking at recent developments such as our “phase one” deal with China and the U.K.’s recent elections, said stocks are “primed for Q1 2020 risk asset melt-up,” projecting that the S&P 500 will rip off a quick 5% by March.… Read more

“Hey Kevin, I think I’m going to look at doing one of those top 20 dividend picks for 2020 pieces. Cheesy, I know, but ‘tis the season.”

My always-supportive publisher knew how to rattle my cage, however:

“Funny, I just saw one of those ‘Wall Street favorite’ pieces cross my desk. Had one of your old favorites included…”

Our old flame Medical Properties Trust’s (MPW) inclusion caught Kevin’s eye. Classic Wall Street. Way to call the stock you should have bought in 2015 as the best buy for 2020!

Now don’t get me wrong, this is a well-run company with a timeless business model.… Read more

I’m about to reveal my very best strategy for pocketing 20%+ upside (and 7%+ dividends) from closed-end funds (CEFs) in the year ahead.

And in the long run, you could be in for truly monstrous gains, like the 94% return, and 8.8% dividend, I locked in using this simple plan just a few days ago.

I’m sharing this powerful tool with you now because this is the perfect time to get into CEFs. Unlike the (bubbly) S&P 500, many of these high-yield funds are cheap now—and spring-loaded for big “snap back” upside in 2020.

In fact, 380 of the roughly 500 CEFs out there—a full 75%—trade below their “true” worth as I write this.… Read more

The way to protect your portfolio isn’t large caps–it’s large yields. And the very best ones often come in small packages, such as the three “underappreciated dividends” yielding up to 15% that I’m about to show you.

I’m talking about funds that pay big, secure dividends. When pullbacks happen, these funds’ prices don’t move thanks to their yields. After all, a 15% annual payout (like the one we’re going to discuss shortly) buffers your portfolio against plenty of market volatility.

Here’s an example. Let’s consider Wall Street’s temper tantrum from late 2015 to early 2016, which greeted our launch of the Contrarian Income Report service focused on dividends that are big enough to retire on.… Read more

Brilliant bond manager Jeffrey Gundlach—aka the “bond god”—has decreed that it’s time to sell “junk” bonds. And he’s gone as far as to say that one-third of corporate bonds should probably be rated as junk.

Gundlach is one of the few “gurus” that we pay attention to. He called the subprime mortgage crisis ahead of time in 2007, an epic rally in US Treasuries earlier this decade, and President Trump’s election in early 2016 (when few gave the Republican candidate a chance.)

And his two closed-end funds (CEFs) are excellent long-term additions to a retirement portfolio. Over the last six years his two DoubleLine funds have roared to 72% and 54% total returns (with the majority of these gains coming as cash dividends:)

DoubleLine CEF’s Deliver: Distributions Plus Gains

But no guru is perfectly clairvoyant!… Read more

I’m going to hand you a dead-simple strategy that perfectly lines you up for dividends growing 150%—or more—plus safe current yields of 6.5% and higher.

The kicker? This quick 3-step plan positions you for fast 70% upside, too—especially when stocks dive.

And if stocks soar? You’ll very likely outrun the market, too!

What I’m going to show you really is the closest thing to a “heads you win, tails you win” scenario I’ve ever seen in investing.

More on this easy move (and how it drove a huge 70% gain for folks who pulled this same “trick” exactly one year ago) shortly.… Read more

Dividend growth is the secret to a comfortable retirement. Today, we’re going to discuss five stocks with big “payout momentum” heading into 2020. As dividends grow, stock prices, are likely to follow, so pay attention.

How do I know? The dividend-growth strategy in my Hidden Yields research service has resulted in 17%-plus annual returns since inception. Do the math, and that means subscribers have roughly doubled their money every four years.

Yet, for whatever reason, massive dividend increases throughout the year go virtually uncovered. The company puts out a press release, typically alongside earnings. Even the biggest payout hikes of the year get just one or two sentences in a writeup before reporters move on to sexier topics.… Read more

Stocks or bonds? With the market off to an inauspicious December start, you may be thinking about shuffling some money from equities into income.

But rich guys and gals know better than to choose. They blend the best of both worlds to collect interest and enjoy share price upside! And we can too.

Their secret tickers? Convertible bonds. (Before the holidays you may be tempted to add some convertibles to your portfolio simply so that you can brag about them to friends and family!)

Convertible bonds, like the preferred shares we have discussed recently, pay regular interest. In this way, they act like bonds.… Read more

Imagine investing a million dollars and getting back … a pathetic $17,500 in income every year.

You don’t have to imagine—because that’s exactly what you’d get if you bought the typical S&P 500 stock today, which yields a sad 1.75%.

The worst part? That yield is a lot smaller than it was just 10 months ago, and down near 10-year lows as stock prices have ground higher:

Dividend Yields Scrape Bottom

No wonder dividends get no respect!

But I’ve got good news: that 1.75% doesn’t matter a bit to us. In fact, it’s a distraction from the real opportunity I want to show you: a dead-simple, 3-step shot at a much bigger payout.… Read more

If you flip on the financial news this Friday, or click over to your favorite stock website, you’re going to see headlines about retail stocks. After all, they can’t have a Black Friday without weighing in on immediate winners and losers!

In recent years, the retail sector has produced many more losers than winners. Amazon (AMZN) is blamed as the brick-and-mortar-killer, taking down not only unimaginative retailers but also the landlords that rent to them.

The carnage even extends to shopping center rentiers like Macerich (MAC). It promises a 10.2% yield, but this inflated payout is due to a stock that split “the wrong way”—halving in price without the increase in sales!… Read more