“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

How the heck do you fund your retirement today, with regular stocks yielding a pathetic 1.8%?

Today I’m going to show you exactly how—and we’re going to use my favorite tool, closed-end funds (CEFs) to do it. In fact, we’re going to zero in on a particular CEF that’s the poster child for how these high-yielding funds can deliver the retirement you want on a modest nest egg—far less than that million bucks many advisors say you need.

To start, this solid fund pays a steady 6.4% dividend now—nearly four times the payout you’d get from a “regular” stock. Even better for retirees, it pays you that dividend monthly, in line with your bills.… 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

Worried about a 2018 (or worse, a 2009) repeat?

Good news: I’ve got a closed-end fund (CEF) that should be on your list no matter what happens: it carries a special “insurance” policy if markets head south; it’s nicely positioned to gain when markets rise; and—the cherry on top—it pays a massive 10.3% dividend.

But before we get to this all-weather fund, I have something I need to tell you about those pullback worries: they’re way overblown. Because despite fear-mongering headlines, my latest research shows there’s every reason to expect stocks to hit all-time highs again—and soon. Here are three reasons why.… 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

“Buy low, sell high.” It’s the oldest investor slogan there is—and the deadliest one, too!

You simply cannot afford to give in to this “wisdom” today, even though it’s tempting. Now that we’ve seen a couple of days of weakness, you might be wondering if the recent all-time high was a sign to sell—and if all-time highs are often signs to sell. But do that now and you’ll certainly leave huge income—and upside—on the table.

Instead, now is the time to buy, especially closed-end funds (CEFs) paying dividends of 7% and up. I’ll give you an example of one of these high yielders—which drops its payout into your account monthly—further on.… 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

Let’s dive straight into a trap I’ve seen many investors make in the past. And falling into this pitfall again today could cost you a 7.7% dividend in 2020, and considerable upside, too.

It involves China’s stock market, which gives all indications of being a bargain today. Too bad it’s anything but!

China Equities Get a Beatdown

Truth is, there do seem to be some screaming bargains in China-focused closed-end funds (CEFs) these days—like the Templeton Dragon Fund (TDF), which trades at a 12.1% discount to NAV. Or the Morgan Stanley China Fund (CAF), which sports the same 12.1% deal.

But many Americans have been lured into the China story in the past decade, when it looked like the Red Dragon would finally lurch ahead of the US … only to have it end in tears.… Read more