Strange but true: seniors fear death less than running out of money in retirement.
Also, retirees who have constructed a nest egg have valid justifications to be concerned, since the traditional ways to plan for retirement may mean income can no longer cover expenses. Some retirees are now tapping their principal to make a decent living, pressed for time between decreasing investment balances and longer life expectancies.
Your parents’ retirement investing plan won’t cut it 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.
That means if you had $1 million in 10-year Treasuries, the difference in yield between 1999 and today 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’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
Dividend-paying stocks from low-risk, high-quality companies are a smart way to generate steady and reliable attractive income streams to replace low risk, low yielding Treasury and bond options.
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.
General Mills (GIS) is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.59 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.44%. This compares to the Food – Miscellaneous industry’s yield of 0% and the S&P 500’s yield of 1.59%. The company’s annualized dividend growth in the past year was 9.26%. Check General Mills (GIS) dividend history here>>>
Ryman Hospitality Properties (RHP) is paying out a dividend of $1.1 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 3.71% compared to the REIT and Equity Trust – Other industry’s yield of 4.37% and the S&P 500’s yield. The annualized dividend growth of the company was 340% over the past year. Check Ryman Hospitality Properties (RHP) dividend history here>>>
Currently paying a dividend of $0.62 per share, Sempra (SRE) has a dividend yield of 3.35%. This is compared to the Utility – Gas Distribution industry’s yield of 3.48% and the S&P 500’s current yield. Annualized dividend growth for the company in the past year was 3.93%. Check Sempra (SRE) dividend history here>>>
But aren’t stocks generally more risky than bonds?
Overall, that is true. But stocks are a broad class, and you can reduce the risks significantly by selecting high-quality dividend stocks that can generate regular, predictable income and can also decrease the volatility of your portfolio compared to the overall 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.
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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General Mills, Inc. (GIS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Sempra Energy (SRE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (RHP) : Free Stock Analysis Report