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

Are you looking for that “sweet spot” retirement investment that combines growth tomorrow plus dividends today?

If so, let’s talk about a tech megatrend that’s powering a payout with 546% upside.

For this type of dividend growth, we must consider huge breakthroughs, like the Internet of Things—another name for the millions of devices (from your home thermostat to industrial sensors) hooking up to the web every year.

But hands-down the most important disruptor of all, from a dividend standpoint, is artificial intelligence (AI), the move toward “thinking” computers.

That’s because AI is the one revolution that’s baked into just about every tech advance you can imagine, making everything from cybersecurity defenses to self-driving cars faster, smarter every day.… Read more

Do you remember the biggest threat to the stock market in the summer of 2017?

Let me refresh your memory: a nuclear war with North Korea.

It was barely a year ago, but financial pundits and so-called experts were screaming from the rooftops about volatility spiking with the risk of a nuclear war. Here’s what actually happened as Armageddon fears fizzled:

Market Tunes Out Pundits’ Panic

So much for heightened fears! In fact, despite unusually large spikes in volatility earlier this year, as a whole, this measure of market fears has been on a steady decline.

Oh, and those spikes in volatility you see earlier this year were because of a new risk du jour.… Read more

I’ve said for years that dividend-happy real estate investment trusts (REITs) are the superior play for long-term wealth generation. And yet another set of data – this one spanning more than half a century – proves just how powerful the REIT space really is.

Let me show you the latest findings – and introduce you to a handful of stocks that should deliver market-beating returns for the next several decades.

A couple months ago, I highlighted a CEM Benchmarking study of asset-class returns going back to 1998 that showed publicly listed REITs trounced everything in retirement-focused accounts: large-cap stocks, small-cap stocks, bonds, private equity, hedge funds – you name it!… Read more

Energy commodity prices have been extremely volatile of late. Crude oil is down more than 20% in the past month, while natural gas is up more than 40% over the same period.

The result is that some of the most stable names in the energy sector, master limited partnerships (MLPs), have lost 6% or more in the past month, wiping out the benefit of an attractive annual dividend yield.

However, one thing that remains constant over time is that the market rewards faster earnings growth in stocks, even with income-oriented names. Higher profits can lead to higher future dividends, which in turn helps investors build wealth, even as inflation is rising.… Read more