Yahoo Finance How to Maximize Your Retirement Portfolio with These 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 older Americans have legitimate reasons for this worry, even if they have dutifully saved for their golden years. That's because the traditional ways people manage retirement may no longer provide enough income to meet expenses - and with people generally living longer, the principal retirement savings is exhausted far too early in the retirement period.
In today's economic environment, traditional income investments are not working.
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.
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.
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'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
As we see it, dividend-paying stocks from generally low-risk, top notch companies are a brilliant way to create steady and solid income streams to supplant low risk, low yielding Treasury and fixed-income alternatives.
Look for stocks that have paid steady, increasing dividends for years (or decades), and have not cut their dividends even during recessions.
One way to identify suitable candidates is to look for stocks with an average dividend yield of 3%, and positive average annual dividend growth. Many stocks increase dividends over time, helping to offset the effects of inflation.
Here are three dividend-paying stocks retirees should consider for their nest egg portfolio.
General Mills (GIS) is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.59 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.41%. This compares to the Food - Miscellaneous industry's yield of 0% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.58%. The company's annualized dividend growth in the past year was 9.26%. Check General Mills (GIS) dividend history here>>>
Banco Itau (ITUB) is paying out a dividend of $0 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 5.76% compared to the Banks - Foreign industry's yield of 3.7% and the S&P 500's yield. The annualized dividend growth of the company was 4.56% over the past year. Check Banco Itau (ITUB) dividend history here>>>
Currently paying a dividend of $0.25 per share, Kite Realty Group (KRG) has a dividend yield of 4.8%. This is compared to the REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry's yield of 4.44% and the S&P 500's current yield. Annualized dividend growth for the company in the past year was 9.09%. Check Kite Realty Group (KRG) dividend history here>>>
But aren't stocks generally more risky than bonds?
The fact is that stocks, as an asset class, carry more risk than bonds. To counterbalance this, invest in superior quality dividend stocks that not only can grow over time but more significantly, can also decrease your overall portfolio volatility with respect 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 thinking, "I want to invest in a dividend-focused ETF or mutual fund," make sure to do your homework. It's important to know that some mutual funds and specialized ETFs charge high fees, which may diminish your dividend gains or income and thwart the overall objective of this investment strategy. If you do want to invest in fund, research well to identify the best-quality dividend funds with the least charges.
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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General Mills, Inc. (GIS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. (ITUB) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Kite Realty Group Trust (KRG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
