5 Cash Cow Stocks Yielding Up to 10.8%

Brett Owens, Chief Investment Strategist
Updated: April 7, 2019

Sometimes investors forget that dividends are funded by actual cash flows.

Consider General Electric (GE), whose outsized yield tempted investors to mistakenly buy shares in this “blue chip” as disaster was unfolding. The stock losses started well before the actual dividend cut and continued on from there:

(Accounting) Imagination at Work

This focus on yield rather than cash happens too often. It’s what prompted me to warn readers about the sky-high yield of Frontier Communications (FTR) a year ahead of its 2017 cut:

A Broken Telecom (and Broken Dividend)

The “not enough cash” problem also prompted me to sound the alarm on L Brands (LB) several times ahead of its 50% dividend cut in late 2018.… Read more

This “Miracle” 8% Dividend Actually Cuts Your Tax Bill

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: April 4, 2019

Here’s something you may not know about closed-end funds (CEFs): they can give you a much lower tax bill than if you buy and sell stocks yourself.

And if you follow the first-level strategy most folks do and invest through an index fund like the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), you’re almost certainly paying more tax than you need to. Worse, you’re stuck with a 2% dividend that falls way short of the 8%+ CEF payouts you need to fund your retirement on a reasonably sized nest egg.

CEFs’ tax advantages stem from the fact that they have skilled pros running the show—and these managers know how to cut the taxes you’ll pay on the big dividends they send you.… Read more

9% MLP Yields for 92 Cents on the Dollar (and No K-1!)

Brett Owens, Chief Investment Strategist
Updated: April 3, 2019

“Hey Brett… you joined two partnerships last year?”

What? I didn’t. Or I thought I didn’t. In reality, I did–by buying shares in not one but two master limited partnerships (MLPs).

One of them was Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) and while I can’t recall the other, I can vividly the annoyed look on my accountant’s face like it was yesterday.

Master limited partnerships (MLPs) are required to issue you a K-1 package at the end of the tax year. These are generally headaches for the person who does your taxes (whether it’s you, or a professional).

That year my accountant calmly but sternly asked me to stop buying MLPs in my personal portfolio.… Read more

Danger: Three 9%-18% REIT Dividends Won’t Last Long

Brett Owens, Chief Investment Strategist
Updated: April 2, 2019

Most dividend investors understandably love the idea of an 8% No Withdrawal Portfolio. It’s a simple yet “game changing” idea that you don’t hear much from mainstream pundits and advisors.

Find stocks that pay 7%, 8% or more and you can retire comfortably, living off dividend checks while your initial capital stays intact (or even appreciates).

Now this strategy is a bit more complicated than simply finding 8% yields and buying them. Granted the recent stock market pullback has benefited investors like us because we can snag more dividends for our dollar. Yields are higher overall, and that’s a good thing.… Read more

This $14 Fund Pays an Amazing 8.4% Dividend

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: April 1, 2019

I’m about to show you three potent investing trends that are being drowned out by the media noise. Then we’ll uncover three snubbed funds set to ride these surging trends to big gains (hint: one of these buys pays an amazing 8.4% dividend!).

Let’s get started.

Trend No. 1: A Still-Roaring US Economy

Take a close look at the chart below. See how every quarter in 2018 has been ahead of every quarter since 2015 by a mile?

Here’s the funny thing: despite that, 2018 gave us the first bear market in stocks since 2008.

It makes zero sense … and it’s why I’ve been pounding the table on stocks since they started falling last year.… Read more

Weekly Market Summary: U.S. Stocks Register Double-Digit Q1 Gains, Despite Inverted Yields

David Peltier, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: March 30, 2019

Investors shrugged off an inversion of the U.S. Treasury yield curve and domestic stock market averages ended the first quarter with 10%-plus gains across the board.

Trade talks resumed with China this week, as a U.S. delegation, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, visited Beijing. The sides are expected to continue discussions next week in Washington D.C.

Inverse Reaction

There was a negative initial reaction to the 3-month U.S. Treasury yield falling below that of the benchmark 10-year note, but rates and investor sentiment leveled off throughout the week.

An inversion of the yield curve often (but not always) predicts an upcoming economic recession.… Read more

The 7 Steps I Always Follow for 8% Dividends in CEFs

Brett Owens, Chief Investment Strategist
Updated: March 29, 2019

Today, the 10-year Treasury pays just 2.4%. Put a million bucks in T-Bills and you’re banking $24,000 per year. Barely above poverty levels!

Hence the appeal of closed-end funds (CEFs), which often pay 8% or better. That’s the difference between a paltry minimum-wage income of $24,000 on a million saved or a respectable $80,000 annually.

And if you’re smart about your CEF purchases, you can even buy these funds at discounts and snare some price upside to boot!

The market’s fast run-up since January 1 has made cheap CEFs just a bit harder to find. And some CEFs have become so pricey that, if you hold them, you should consider selling before their premiums fall to earth.… Read more

Warning: This 21% Dividend Is Way Too Good to Be True

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: March 28, 2019

Every so often, a CEF Insider subscriber asks if I see oil-related closed-end funds (CEFs) as solid income plays. You might be wondering the same, given the surge in oil prices—and oil stocks—since the start of 2019.

Today we’re going to answer that question. Along the way, we’ll uncover an energy CEF you need to steer clear of, no matter how you feel about oil.

Let’s start by making a quick run through history: what would have happened if you invested in energy CEFs over the last few years?


Source: CEF Insider

While the last three years have seen a decent average annualized return, and a negative return if you got in five years ago.… Read more

How to Collect a “Yield-Curve-Proof” $6,166.67 in Monthly Income

Brett Owens, Chief Investment Strategist
Updated: March 27, 2019

The yield curve is now “inverted.” This warning has preceded “seven of four” recent bear markets (more on this in a moment). Time to be safe and sell everything?

Before we stash cash in the mattress, let’s review the actual facts. Fundamental Capital’s Troy Bombardia, one of my favorite historical finance quants, has run the numbers on what happens to the S&P 500 when the 10-year “long” yield dives below the three-month rate:

  • In 1966, 1973, 2000 and 2006, an inverted yield curve indeed preceded a big stock market pullback (usually by a year or two).
  • Meanwhile in 1978, 1980 and 1989 it didn’t mean much.
Read more

My Top “Fed-Proof” Buy: 7.7% Dividends, Fast 10% Gains

Brett Owens, Chief Investment Strategist
Updated: March 26, 2019

Don’t become complacent with your dividends! Your portfolio and your income are at the whim of Fed Chair Jerome Powell—now more than ever.

I realize he’s acting like a “good boy” at the moment. But what if JP decides to go rogue again and exercise his independence? A surprise rate hike would be catastrophic to many income portfolios.

That means you need to “Fed-proof” your nest egg and your dividends. Today we’ll discuss four funds paying dividends up to 10.7% that do just that.

These four closed-end funds (CEFs) have been left for dead in this market rally. That makes them great “Fed insurance”: they’re cheap, so they’ve got built-in upside if the rally goes into overtime.… Read more