Ignore the doomsayers: 2019 is setting up to be a strong year for equities—and a great year for dividend investors like us.

I know this might surprise you, so let’s break it down. Further on I’ll give you 5 funds (with dividends up to 11.5%!) that are flashing buy signals you can’t afford to ignore.

So why am I so bullish on the year ahead?

Thanks to the record-breaking profit growth we’ve seen in 2018, along with continued steady gains in employment and wages, there’s little reason to believe next year will bring the big downturn everyone’s worrying about. Instead, the Fed’s prudent scaling back of interest-rate hikes should fuel more growth.… Read more

If you want to figure out how long it will take to double your money in an investment, you use the “Rule of 72.” But income investors can put this rule to work, too, to figure out just how quickly their dividends will pile up.

I’ll show you how – and I’ll show you five dividend stocks that are on pace to double their dividends in just seven years.

The Rule of 72 is just a simple equation you can use to project the amount of time it would take to double your investment money. The equation:

72 / compound annual interest rate = # of years to double your investment.… Read more

No one likes digging through pages of regulatory filings, but they can often yield valuable information.

For example, institutional investors with at least $100 million of assets must file a 13F form with the Securities and Exchange Commission once a quarter. Think of this as a quarterly scorecard or a window into the holdings of some of the most successful and often secretive investors in the market.

Should you follow suit and piggy-back some of these trades? Well, it’s certainly cheaper than the $1 million minimum buy-in it often takes to invest with the most successful hedge funds, if you’re even invited.… Read more

Are you looking for the 1 perfect buy for big upside and huge (I’m talking 9.5% here) dividends?

Near the end of this article, I’ll show you 1 fund that will let you nail down both. This opportunity comes from a shift in the market that’s been so quiet, almost no one has picked up on it—except for one group.

Enter the “Smart Money”

You’ve probably heard the phrase “smart money”.

It’s really just shorthand for active managers, like those at the big hedge funds, investment banks and other massive institutions, who make billion-dollar bets based on massive troves of information and experience.… Read more

As you near (and enter) retirement you probably favor bonds, which provide income with less drama than stocks. However, less drama means less potential upside. With retirees living longer than ever before, it’s important to not go too conservative too early in life. And fortunately today, even 65 or 70 may be too early!

One suggested solution for our long life expectancy “problem” is to stay with stocks longer. But stocks can go down as well as up and a big pullback can inflict permanent damage on a portfolio.

So, we want to capture the dividends that stocks pay and the upside potential that they provide by minimizing our downside risk.… Read more

If rising rates and this whipsawing market have you wondering where to put your cash now, don’t worry: you’re not the only one.

The good news? I’ve got 5 perfect contrarian buys for you to snap up now.

Each of these 5 stocks is set to pull off something that’s proven to line shareholders’ pockets when rates spike: all 5 “outrun” rates by giving us a high dividend yield now or fast payout growth—and sometimes both in one buy!

More on these 5 smart rising-rate plays in a moment.

First, we need to talk about another group of stocks that might look like a great contrarian opportunity now, but is anything but.… Read more

Since launching my CEF Insider service in early 2018, the picks I’ve given subscribers have outperformed the broader CEF market. That’s prompted a lot of people to ask me how I choose the CEFs I do—especially in a market as wild as the one we’ve seen in the last couple months.

My process is both complicated and straightforward. I have a checklist of 52 points I go through to choose the right fund. I apply these one by one, first using some of the broader points to screen funds, then zooming in closer, using more complex analysis to bring you my very best buys.… Read more

Each November, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) hosts a conference that brings all of the key players in the sector together. The timing of REITworld creates an opportunity to see who’s poised to perform well in 2019 and beyond.

The general consensus from the meeting this year in San Francisco was that the Apartment owners are positioned well for the near future, while the outlook for Retail and Storage names remains volatile.

Individual pockets of both strength and weakness can be found where you least expect it and here are two REITworld winners and one loser that may have flown under the radar.… Read more

If these whipsawing oil markets are making you dizzy, you’re far from alone.

But this isn’t the time for worry—it’s time to tap oil’s woes for 7%+ dividends and upside!

And, as you’ve probably guessed, I’ve got the perfect funds all lined up for you—3 of them, to be precise. One of these contrarian buys yields 10.4%! And each of these 3 expertly run bargains also gives you some much-needed downside protection, too.

But before we get to them, let’s talk about what’s actually going on with crude these days.

You probably noticed that oil was on a roll from the middle of 2017 until a few weeks ago, when it plunged back to earth.… Read more

We received many thoughtful questions after last Wednesday’s “options for income” editorial. (If you missed the original piece, you can read it in its entirety here.)

Many of you are understandably interested in my favorite strategy for generating thousands of dollars in extra income each month regardless of what happens with the S&P 500. After all, it’s a great time to consider alternative cash flow options that don’t depend on this bull market motoring ahead for many more years.

So if you’ve dabbled with the idea of selling options for income, and you’re not exactly sure how to get started, I hope this discussion can help you get started with this excellent (and safe) income strategy.… Read more