Category: Investments
Income Investing vs. Inflation
I want my money now! In fact, I want to create as many paychecks as possible throughout the month. This concept is the basis of becoming an income investor. I have been preaching about the woes of inflation for over a year now (Inflation is Coming, Prepare for Inflation). Now, it’s here, and I am…
Retirement Plus: Use Bonds to Supplement Your Retirement
As we move towards retirement, we want to ensure we have multiple streams of income that can increase over time. They increase by paying us a yield, whether interest or dividends. Being on a fixed income, especially during periods of high inflation, is the most dangerous thing you can do during retirement. We want to…
Preferred Shares vs Treasury Bonds
If you just read the title, you probably think what weird securities to compare. Preferred Shares trade on the stock market, while the US government sells treasury bonds. However, these assets have an inverse relationship hidden from many people. It all starts with the investor’s chase for yield. Yield is everything. As investors, we all…
How to Make $500/Month in Dividends
Can $500 a month in free income change your life? I can speak from experience that dividends can change your life and your entire outlook on the future. Once you start building a dividend portfolio, you’ll wonder why you hadn’t started sooner. Of course, it costs money to make money with dividends. If you don’t…
Series “I” Bonds vs Roth IRAs
With a recession on the horizon, we need to invest with a long-term mindset. We aren’t going to make double-digit returns over the next few years. What are some investing options we have with a 20+ year timeframe? Today, I want to talk about Series “I” Bonds and Roth IRAs because they are very similar,…
From Dirt to Dividends 6: Use Verimculture & Blue Chip Companies to Supplement Your Homestead
I’m feeling mighty wealthy today. That is because I have dividends coming in from all sorts of high yield products, such as closed-end funds and preferred shares. Currently, I am still working; however, I will retire, and my dividends will continue to pour into my accounts one day. With dividends incoming, I can spend my…
From Dirt to Dividends 5: Use Composting & Dividends ETFs To Supplement Your Homestead
Life is good on our wealthy homestead, so welcome back. Here, we live off the land while becoming rich on dividends. It’s not a bad deal to convert nature into cash flow. This piece is part five of the From Dirt to Dividends series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4). Previously, we have…
Investing for Interest 107: Series “I” Bonds For You and I
This year will be a challenging time for both savers and investors. The bond markets predict a recession, and the stock market is already pricing in the effects of inflation, high-interest rates, and limited commodities. We can’t speak with certainty about what will happen in the next one or two years, so we must hedge…
From Dirt to Dividends 4: Use Community Farming & Mortgage REITs to Supplement Your Homestead
Just because we are off on our homestead doesn’t mean we have to be alone. In fact, homesteading is all about community and teamwork. Welcome back to the From Dirt to Dividends series (part 1, part 2, part 3), where we discuss moving away while becoming rich. Today, I will explain how we can use…
From Dirt to Dividends 3: Use Insects and Business Development Companies to Supplement Your Homestead
Do you want to spend your retirement in a major metropolitan city with smog, cars, noise, and rude people? I sure as heck don’t. That’s why I am planning my escape from the city now. However, just because I plan to retire to a homestead doesn’t mean that I will be broke. In fact, I…
How We Plan to Retire on Dividends 3
I am six months closer to retirement since I published the last article in this series. My dividend portfolio is a shining example of what can happen when you decide to focus on something truly. I am (with my lovely wife, of course) going to achieve $1,000 in dividends this month. Now, let’s take a…
Dividends vs. Social Security
If you are under 50, don’t fall for the social security trap. You still have time to save yourself and build a fantastic retirement. “What is this trap?” you ask. If you are planning for social security to be your primary source of retirement income, you are in the deadliest trap of them all. You…
From Dirt to Dividends 2: Use Livestock and Closed-End Funds to Supplement Your Homestead
Going off-grid is a fantastic accomplishment. However, building a homestead close to the city is just as awesome. You get the benefits of farm living and still have a Wal-Mart nearby. This is part 2 of my Dirt to Dividends series (Part 1), where I discuss growing our farm and retirement nest egg concurrently. Today,…
Tiny Dividends: Can You Retire on Dividends from Index Funds?
Today’s topic will make you think, so put on your exploration hats. I have never seen a subject like this before, so we are charting new territory and hunting some sacred cows. Let’s begin. Typical index fund retirement. The standard index fund retirement involves savers (not investors) piling their money into various index funds. Most…
From Dirt to Dividends: Use Gardening and Preferred Shares to Supplement Your Homestead
Homesteading is about freedom from the world (large) and the daily grind (small). However, there is one thing that we will never be free of—money. Thus, we need to prepare financially before we run off into our homesteading haze. You must be thinking, “what a weird article.” In my last article, “How to Defeat Creator’s…
TSP vs. Dividends
In a perfect world, all investing options would be equal. The universe would understand your intent and spit out the results of your wish. Unfortunately, that is not the case. We must micro-manage our investing habits to get the best results. The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) versus a standard brokerage account is a touchy subject…
Retirement Plus: Use Dividends to Supplement Your Retirement
How is your retirement looking? Do you have cash flow that also increases with inflation? Do you depend on the government to supplement your 401K with social security? How much money do you need the day you retire? Does that amount look the same 20 years into retirement? Retirement is a sensitive subject for most…
Easter -Nest- Eggs: Build a Dividend Growth Nest Egg
I used to love searching for easter eggs during the Easter Season. My mom would lay out many eggs around the yard or church, and we would run around looking for candy-filled eggs. Childhood memories bring us these incredible feelings of joy and happiness. I am grateful to my parents for ensuring we had moments…
Emergency Escape: Build a High-Yield Emergency Fund
Building an emergency fund is one of the most critical aspects of creating a financially secure lifestyle. Sadly, most Americans do not have $1,000 in savings to cover a minor emergency. Today, I want to cover some reasons to have an emergency fund and how we can use our emergency fund as an investment vehicle.…
It’s Raining Money: How Dividends Can Change Your Life
I’m about three months away from hitting my third anniversary as a dividend investor. I have had many experiences in my life (especially as a US Marine for 23 years), but none are as transformative as dividend investing. Today, I want to talk through some of my experiences with dividend investing, how it’s changed my…
