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 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.
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.
The impact of this rate decline is sizable: over 20 years, the difference in yield for a $1 million investment in 10-year Treasuries is more than $1 million.
And lower bond yields aren't the only potential problem seniors are facing. Today's retirees aren't feeling as secure as they once did about Social Security, either. Benefit checks will still be coming for the foreseeable future, but based on current estimates, Social Security funds 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
As a replacement for low yielding Treasury bonds (and other bond options), we believe dividend-paying stocks from high quality companies offer low risk and stable, predictable income investors in retirement seek.
Look for stocks that have paid steady, increasing dividends for years (or decades), and have not cut their dividends even during recessions.
One approach to recognizing appropriate stocks is to look for companies with an average dividend yield of 3% and positive average annual dividend growth. Numerous stocks hike dividends over time, counterbalancing inflation risks.
Here are three dividend-paying stocks retirees should consider for their nest egg portfolio.
T. Rowe Price (TROW) is currently shelling out a dividend of $1.24 per share, with a dividend yield of 4.24%. This compares to the Financial - Investment Management industry's yield of 1.94% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.58%. The company's annualized dividend growth in the past year was 1.64%. Check T. Rowe Price (TROW) dividend history here>>>
Urban Edge Properties (UE) is paying out a dividend of $0.17 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 3.84% compared to the REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry's yield of 4.38% and the S&P 500's yield. The annualized dividend growth of the company was 6.25% over the past year. Check Urban Edge Properties (UE) dividend history here>>>
Currently paying a dividend of $0.38 per share, UGI (UGI) has a dividend yield of 6.11%. This is compared to the Utility - Gas Distribution industry's yield of 3.43% and the S&P 500's current yield. Annualized dividend growth for the company in the past year was 4.17%. Check UGI (UGI) 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.
Combating the impact of inflation is one advantage of owning these dividend-paying stocks. Here's why: many of these stable, high-quality companies increase their dividends over time, which translates to rising dividend income that offsets the effects of inflation.
Thinking about dividend-focused mutual funds or ETFs? Watch out for fees.
You may be thinking, "I like this dividend strategy, but instead of investing in individual stocks, I'm going to find a dividend-focused mutual fund or ETF." This approach can make sense, but be aware that some mutual funds and specialized ETFs carry high fees, which may reduce your dividend gains or income, and defeat the goal of this dividend investment approach. If you do wish to invest in a fund, do your research to find the best-quality dividend funds with the lowest fees.
Bottom Line
Regardless of whether you select high-quality, low-fee funds or stocks, looking for a steady stream of income from dividend-paying equities can potentially lead you to a solid and more peaceful retirement.
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T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW) : Free Stock Analysis Report
UGI Corporation (UGI) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Urban Edge Properties (UE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
