Here’s some great news as we head into the summer market doldrums: we’ve got a terrific setup to buy, with stocks rallying, economic data strong—and the S&P 500 (and many high-yielding closed end funds) still cheap.

These bargains exist because of the media’s constant bleating about a recession. But that, of course, has been completely wrong—and I expect it will continue to be.

The key takeaway is that our buying opportunity in CEFs is as strong as it’s been since this rally started in January—which is why five of the six CEFs in the equity section of our CEF Insider portfolio, which boasts an 8.8% average yield as I write this, are buys.… Read more

$600K can be enough money to retire on. Even as early as age 50!

The trick is to convert the pile of cash into cash flow that can pay the bills. I’m talking about $50,400 per year or more in dividend income on that nest egg, thanks to 8.4% yields.

These are passive payouts that show up every quarter or, better yet, every month. Meanwhile, we keep that $600K nest egg intact. Or, better yet, grind that principal higher steadily and safely.

Got more in your retirement account? Cool—more monthly dividend income for you!

We’ll talk specific stocks, funds and yields in a moment.… Read more

No matter what Jay Powell says, interest rates are topping out here—and that’s put three “stealth” stocks (growing payouts double digits!) in perfect position to gap higher.

This trio are midcap stocks—which we love now because of, well, history: at times like this, midcaps, particularly midcap dividend growers, soar. This chart paints the picture:

Midcaps Counter Rate Moves

Here you can see that the Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO), in purple, rose when the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell at the start of the pandemic. But look at the right side of the chart: as rates soared, midcaps slipped. That opens a buy window as Powell steps to the side and (eventually) cuts, flipping rates lower—and midcaps back up.… Read more

TV personality Suze Orman has bad news for anyone hoping to escape the rat race: they’ll probably have to wait until they’re over 70.

In a recent interview, the host of the Suze Orman Show splashed cold water on the idea that anyone can enjoy their golden years without clocking in at the office. “Stop this ‘Oh, I’m going to retire at 60. I’m going to start claiming Social Security at 62!’” she proclaimed to viewers.

The reason Orman is adamant most people don’t have enough money to retire, and won’t until they’ve hit 70? She says the 4% rule—a cornerstone of retirement planning for decades—is “dangerous,” and no one should “be using the 4% rule on any level.”… Read more

If retirement gets any better than monthly dividend payers then, well, I don’t want to know about it.

Seriously. I’m a simple guy! Pay me every 30 days and I’ll smile and shut up.

And I’ll grin even wider when my monthly dividends add up to 8.7%, 14% or—get this—19.5% per year.

These are not typos. They are real yields from actual stocks and yes, they are spectacular. We’ll highlight them in a moment. But first, let’s review the magic of monthly dividends.

Bills keep showing up every month. Active paychecks from our jobs do not, which is why we rely on payouts.… Read more

There’s a “secret” floating around no economist or pundit wants to admit: all the usual measures of predicting the economy’s direction are broken.

That’s ushered in a shift from the old ways of forecasting (which were never that great, to be honest) to the new—and set up a “one-time-only” sale on the best 8%+ yielding closed-end funds (CEFs) out there.

Buying CEFs—which are renowned for their huge (and often monthly) dividend payouts during this “window” is smart for anyone looking to set themselves up for 8%+ payouts for decades to come. We’ll look at one specific fund yielding 8.2% and trading for a bargain 14% below its “true” value in a moment.… Read more

Retiring on dividends. It’s the income investors’ dream, right?

It sure beats working for the rest of our lives!

Check out this July 2023 income summary, courtesy of Income Calendar, a nifty tool we built to project dividend income. I loaded up a 10-stock portfolio, featuring popular payers we discuss in these pages:

Source: Income Calendar

This is an “equal opportunity” collection of both picks and pans. Please, don’t run out and buy Global X Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD) just for its impressive 12.2% annualized yield. Let the Nasdaq bubble pop, at least!

QYLD buys the Nasdaq index and sells covered calls to generate income.… Read more

Don’t buy Jay Powell’s tough-guy act. This rate-hike cycle is on its last legs. And that’s opening up an opportunity for us to grab high—and growing—cash payouts in a “sleepy” corner of the dividend world.

As rates roll over and we enter a recession, the unsung stocks we’re going to discuss today will gain. That growth will compress their dividend yields (as yields and prices move in opposite directions). So our best play is to get in now, before that happens.

I’m talking about utilities.

Most people don’t think of utilities as growth plays. But the stars are aligning for our favorite “utes” to do just that as Powell steps to the side.… Read more

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: “If you buy a high-yielding investment, your big yield won’t last because they’ll cut dividends.”

I hear it a lot, so let’s talk about two funds that haven’t cut distributions in the last decade. In fact, these closed-end funds (CEFs), yielding 9% and 10%, respectively, have done the opposite, growing payouts and dropping special dividends, too!

High-Yield CEF No. 1: A “One-Click” Way to Get a Growing 9% Payout From Tech

One of my favorite CEFs comes from the biggest fund manager on earth: BlackRock, with more than $10 trillion of assets under management.… Read more

AI bubble? Bear market rally? I don’t care because I see five dividends between 10.1% and 13.5%.

Now that’s rarified air for yields! A benefit of a manic market such as this, where we have fear alongside insanity at the same time.

The five double-digit dividends we’re about to discuss aren’t tied to individual stocks, either. These payouts are dished by diversified funds with dozens or hundreds of holdings. All have experienced managers at the helm.

They just happen to be cheap because CEFland is still on sale after a rough run in 2022. Which is where we contrarians pick up the case.… Read more