Author Archive: Michael Foster

Investment Strategist

2 Big 6.7%+ Dividends (With Upside) You Can Buy Today

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: August 12, 2019

Volatility is back! With the market whipsawing again, you’re likely seeing more red in your portfolio these days.

At times like this, you might be tempted to give in to emotion and sell. That’s understandable—self-preservation is, after all, our most powerful instinct.

But keep your nerve. Because now is the time for contrarians like us to get greedy for yield—and upside.

Here’s why: American companies’ earnings are strong, their revenues are rising, and there are no indications of a recession anytime soon.

I’ll go through these points one by one, because it’s important to see how the data disagrees with the panicky noise the media publishes these days.… Read more

These “Chameleon” 4% Dividends Turn Into Huge 6%+ Payouts

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: August 8, 2019

Municipal bonds are the perfect play for this trade-war obsessed market—they’re far more stable than your typical stock and they pay bigger dividends, too.

And today I’m going to show you how to tap the very best “munis” for a 4.3% average dividend yield.

That’s just the start.

One of the three “steady Eddie” buys I’ll show you below even pays an outsized 4.7% dividend. Plus, it trades at a discount to its “true” value, adding to its already legendary stability and setting us up for some nice gains, too.

Turning a 4% Yield Into 5.8%

Here’s something that’s often overlooked about muni bonds: their payouts are tax-free to most Americans.Read more

Warning: This “2-Step” Retirement Blunder Will Cost You 9.8% Dividends

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: August 5, 2019

I run into a lot of investors who think retirement investing is a two-act play.

In Act 1, when you’re younger, you try to balloon your nest egg with high-risk growth stocks that pay little (and often no) dividends.

Then, in Act 2, as you near—and enter—retirement, you pivot to the big dividends you need to pay your bills.

Trouble is, this approach exposes you to far too much risk, so today I’m going to show you a better way.

Your Best Play: Big Dividends and Growth—Right Now

I’m talking about 10 funds that can hand you dividends up to 9.8% right now, plus annual returns of 10% or more.… Read more

Sick of Overpriced Stocks? Buy This 9.7% Dividend at a 16% Discount

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: August 1, 2019

There’s an intriguing trend showing up in second-quarter earnings. And today I’ll show you how you can jump on it with a cheap closed-end fund (CEF)—I’m talking a 16% discount here.

Then there’s the dividend: a “hidden” 9.7% yield. I’ll say more about that shortly.

This trend might sound boring at first, but it’s crucial, because it proves that most folks have the wrong idea about the markets: they should be buying instead of fretting over interest rates, the next recession or other headline-driven fears.

But now more than ever, it’s where you buy that’s important. And the overlooked trend I’ve discovered proves that you need look no further than our own backyard: in the USA.… Read more

These 2 “Silent Wealth Builders” Are Set to Soar (and yield 6.8%+)

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: July 29, 2019

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) sound boring, but the truth is they’re the hottest investments out there. And today I’m going to give you two great ways to buy in: both are REIT-focused funds with big yields—I’m talking 6.8% and up!

You’ve no doubt noticed that REITs get little attention in the financial press. That’s because the media is obsessed with stories of big growth or big failures, and REITs are rarely one or the other. Instead, they help you quietly build wealth by providing big income and gains year in and year out.

Today I’m going to give you three reasons why REITs are a great buy now.… Read more

This Easy Mistake Will Cost You 8.6%+ Dividends (and big gains)

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: July 25, 2019

There’s a scary-sounding catchphrase making the rounds these days—and it’s tricking folks into missing out on big dividends (I’m talking yields of 8.6%+) and upside.

The catchphrase: “earnings recession.”

You might have heard these two words. If you take them at face value, you could easily take them to mean that it’s time to hold off on stocks, particularly with the market hitting all-time highs on the regular.

That would be a mistake, because now is the time for us contrarians to buy—particularly high-yield closed-end funds (CEFs) like the 8.6% yielder I’ll show you below. It holds many of the top S&P 500 names you know well, like Apple (AAPL), Alphabet (GOOGL) and Amazon.comRead more

Revealed: The 5 Best CEFs for 17%+ Yearly Gains, 6%+ Dividends

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: July 22, 2019

Something unusual has happened in closed-end funds (CEFs) lately—a lot of new names are showing up in the leaderboard of the top long-term performers.

According to my CEF Insider service, there are now 36 funds that have delivered over 15% annualized total returns over the last decade, and three have delivered over 20% annualized returns, including their hefty dividend payouts.

And today we’re going to dive into five that have returned 17% and up (annualized) over the last decade. They’re powerful income generators for any market, with monster dividend yields all the way up to 10.5%!

Let’s get started.

Winning CEF #1: Cohen & Steers Quality Income Realty Fund (RQI)

RQI uses investors’ money to build a diverse portfolio of real estate investment trusts (REITs).… Read more

How Equity CEFs Pay Out 6.6%+ Dividends – Even in a Downturn

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: July 18, 2019

Today we’re going to dive into a question subscribers to our CEF Insider service often ask: what happens to a closed-end fund’s dividend when stocks take a tumble?

The answer is coming up shortly (and if you’re at all worried about this levitating market suddenly snapping back, you’re going to like what I have to show you).

Then I’m going to reveal one 6.6%-paying fund whose management is dialed in to market swings and know how to protect their investors’ income when things get rough.

How do I know? Because they did just that in the 2008-09 crisis.

More on that shortly.… Read more

Buy and Hold Forever? Nope. I’d Sell if You See These 3 Signs

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: July 15, 2019

Members of our CEF Insider service often ask me when they should sell a closed-end fund.

The truth is, when it comes to CEFs, it’s easier to know when to buy than when to sell.

If the fund is well managed, has a strong track record, is deeply discounted in relation to net asset value, or NAV (another way of saying the underlying value of the fund’s portfolio) and has a relatively safe dividend, that CEF has already gone a significant distance toward being a buy.

Sell signs aren’t always as clear, but they’re still there. You just need to know what to look for.… Read more

A “No Drama” 6.7% Dividend to Buy Right Now

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: July 11, 2019

Imagine if you could find a single signal that would warn you when a recession is on the horizon.

Well, one such indicator does exist—and it’s telling us that storm clouds are indeed building. That means it’s time for contrarians like us to get greedy for income (and gains)!

I’ll explain this seeming contradiction—and name a 6.7%-yielding fund that should be on your list—in a second. First, here’s more on this reliable “recession indicator.”

A Three-Decade History of Being Right

Campbell Harvey, an economist at Duke University, knows all about this recession signal: he was the first person to run across it, over 30 years ago.… Read more