Yahoo Finance 3 Top Dividend Stocks to Maximize Your Retirement Income
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.
The tried-and-true retirement investing approach of yesterday doesn't work today.
For example, 10-year Treasury bonds in the late 1990s offered a yield of around 6.50%, which translated to an income source you could count on. However, today's yield is much lower and probably not a viable return option to fund typical retirements.
While this yield reduction may not seem drastic, it adds up: for a $1 million investment in 10-year Treasuries, the rate drop means a difference in yield of more than $1 million.
Today's retirees are getting hit hard by reduced bond yields - and the Social Security picture isn't too rosy either. Right now and for the near future, Social Security benefits are still being paid, but it has been estimated that the Social Security funds will be depleted as soon as 2035.
So what's a retiree to do? You could cut your expenses to the bone, and take the risk that your Social Security checks don't shrink. Or you could find an alternative investment that provides a steady, higher-rate income stream to replace dwindling 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.
Going beyond those familiar names, you can find excellent dividend-paying stocks by following a few guidelines. Look for companies that pay a dividend yield of around 3%, with positive annual dividend growth. The growth rate is key to help combat the effects of inflation.
Here are three dividend-paying stocks retirees should consider for their nest egg portfolio.
AbbVie (ABBV) is currently shelling out a dividend of $1.55 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.79%. This compares to the Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry's yield of 2.51% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.61%. The company's annualized dividend growth in the past year was 4.73%. Check AbbVie (ABBV) dividend history here>>>
Banco Latinoamericano (BLX) is paying out a dividend of $0.5 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 6.58% compared to the Banks - Foreign industry's yield of 4.29% and the S&P 500's yield. The annualized dividend growth of the company was 100% over the past year. Check Banco Latinoamericano (BLX) dividend history here>>>
Currently paying a dividend of $0.35 per share, Carlyle Group (CG) has a dividend yield of 3.41%. This is compared to the Financial - Investment Funds industry's yield of 4.09% and the S&P 500's current yield. Annualized dividend growth for the company in the past year was 7.69%. Check Carlyle Group (CG) 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.
An upside to adding dividend stocks to your retirement portfolio: they can help lessen the effects of inflation, since many dividend-paying companies (especially blue chip stocks) generally increase their dividends over time.
Thinking about dividend-focused mutual funds or ETFs? Watch out for fees.
If you prefer investing in funds or ETFs compared to individual stocks, you can still pursue a dividend income strategy. However, it's important to know the fees charged by each fund or ETF, which can ultimately reduce your dividend income, working against your strategy. Do your homework and make sure you know the fees charged by any fund before you invest.
Bottom Line
Whether you select high-quality, low-fee funds or stocks, seeking the steady income of dividend-paying equities can potentially offer you a path to a better and more stress-free retirement.
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AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Carlyle Group Inc. (CG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. (BLX) : Free Stock Analysis Report
