Improve Your Retirement Income with These 3 Top-Ranked Dividend Stocks
Here's an eye-opening statistic: older Americans are more afraid of running out of money than of death itself.
And unfortunately, even retirees who have built a nest egg have good reason to be concerned - with the traditional approaches to retirement planning, income may no longer cover expenses. That means retirees are dipping into principal to make ends meet, setting up a race against time between dwindling investment balances and longer lifespans.
Retirement investing approaches of the past don't work today.
Years ago, investors at or close to retirement could put money into fixed-income assets and depend on appealing yields to generate consistent, solid pay streams to fund a comfortable retirement. 10-year Treasury bond rates in the late 1990s floated around 6.50%, but unfortunately, those days of being able to exclusively rely on Treasury yields to fund retirement income are over.
That means if you had $1 million in 10-year Treasuries, the difference in yield between 1999 and today is more than $1 million.
In addition to the considerable drop in bond yields, today's retirees are nervous about their future Social Security benefits. Because of certain demographic factors, it's been estimated that the funds that pay the Social Security benefits will run out of money in 2035.
So what can retirees do? You could dramatically reduce your expenses, and go out on a limb hoping your Social Security benefits don't diminish. On the other hand, you could opt for an alternative investment that gives a steady, higher-rate income stream to supplant lessening bond yields.
Invest in Dividend Stocks
We feel that these dividend-paying equities - as long as they are from high-quality, low-risk issuers - can give retirement investors a smart option to replace low-yielding Treasury bonds (or other bonds).
Look for stocks that have paid steady, increasing dividends for years (or decades), and have not cut their dividends even during recessions.
A rule of thumb for finding solid income-producing stocks is to seek those that average 3% dividend yield, and positive yearly dividend growth. These stocks can help combat inflation by boosting dividends over time.
Here are three dividend-paying stocks retirees should consider for their nest egg portfolio.
NexPoint Residential Trust Inc. (NXRT) is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.42 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.32%. This compares to the REIT and Equity Trust - Residential industry's yield of 3.41% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.72%. The company's annualized dividend growth in the past year was 11.36%. Check NexPoint Residential Trust Inc. (NXRT) dividend history here>>>
Peoples Bancorp (PEBO) is paying out a dividend of $0.38 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 5.32% compared to the Banks - Midwest industry's yield of 2.42% and the S&P 500's yield. The annualized dividend growth of the company was 5.56% over the past year. Check Peoples Bancorp (PEBO) dividend history here>>>
Currently paying a dividend of $0.97 per share, Phillips 66 (PSX) has a dividend yield of 3.87%. This is compared to the Oil and Gas - Refining and Marketing industry's yield of 1.7% and the S&P 500's current yield. Annualized dividend growth for the company in the past year was 7.78%. Check Phillips 66 (PSX) dividend history here>>>
But aren't stocks generally more risky than bonds?
It is true that stocks, as an asset class, carry more risk than bonds, but high-quality dividend stocks not only have the ability to produce income growth over time but more importantly, can also reduce your overall portfolio volatility relative to the broader stock market.
A silver lining to owning dividend stocks for your retirement portfolio is that many companies, especially blue chip stocks, increase their dividends over time, helping offset the effects of inflation on your potential retirement income.
Thinking about dividend-focused mutual funds or ETFs? Watch out for fees.
If you're interested in investing in dividends, but are thinking about mutual funds or ETFs rather than stocks, beware of fees. Mutual funds and specialized ETFs may carry high fees, which could lower the overall gains you earn from dividends, undercutting your dividend income strategy. Be sure to look for funds with low fees if you decide on this approach.
Bottom Line
Pursuing a dividend investing strategy can help protect your retirement portfolio. Whether you choose to invest in stocks or through low-fee mutual funds or ETFs, this approach can potentially help you achieve a more secure and enjoyable retirement.
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NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc. (NXRT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Phillips 66 (PSX) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Peoples Bancorp Inc. (PEBO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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