Strange but true: seniors fear death less than running out of money in retirement.
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.
Your parents’ retirement investing plan won’t cut it 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 effect of this drop in rates is substantial: over 20 years, the change in yield for a $1 million investment in 10-year Treasuries is over $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.
Unfortunately, it looks like the two traditional sources of retirement income – bonds and Social Security – may not be able to adequately meet the needs of present and future retirees. But what if there was another option that could provide a steady, reliable source of income in retirement?
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.
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.
ADT (ADT) is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.06 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.05%. This compares to the Security and Safety Services industry’s yield of 0% and the S&P 500’s yield of 1.57%. The company’s annualized dividend growth in the past year was 57.14%. Check ADT (ADT) dividend history here>>>
Eastman Chemical (EMN) is paying out a dividend of $0.81 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 3.23% compared to the Chemical – Diversified industry’s yield of 1.62% and the S&P 500’s yield. The annualized dividend growth of the company was 2.53% over the past year. Check Eastman Chemical (EMN) dividend history here>>>
Currently paying a dividend of $0.37 per share, GSK (GSK) has a dividend yield of 3.27%. This is compared to the Medical – Biomedical and Genetics industry’s yield of 0% and the S&P 500’s current yield. Annualized dividend growth for the company in the past year was 18.84%. Check GSK (GSK) 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.
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
Seeking steady, consistent income through dividends can be a smart option for financial security in retirement, whether you invest in mutual funds, ETFs, or in dividend-paying stocks.
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