Tag: Dividends
Trading Long Strangles vs. Money Market Funds
Where we put our emergency fund money says much about who we are. Some people use high-yield savings, and others use treasury bills. Investors are usually more comfortable using money market funds to house their emergency funds. These funds allow us to trade into the action when the stock market gets spicy. The only thing…
The Illusion of Freedom: The True Three Paths are Military, College, or Trade School
During my entire 24-year career in the United States Marine Corps, people questioned how I could give up my freedom and liberties. They said it’s better to be able to quit their job whenever they like, travel where they want, or do as many drugs as they deem necessary. For 24 years, I kept my…
Earning Your First Dollar in Dividend Income: The Hardest Buck You’ll Ever Make
What would you do for a dollar? Most of us get up at five am, shower, shave, drive, and work to earn a few dollars. We have done this for years. In fact, that’s how they taught us to earn a dollar. Once we receive our paycheck, we use the money to pay for bills,…
Financial Freedom: The True American Dream
Nobody wants to work—or, better stated, nobody wants to be forced to work. We would all love to be “work-optional.” To become work-optional, you must first become financially free. Becoming financially independent isn’t as tough as people think; however, the media does an excellent job of making it seem out of reach. Ultimately, your version…
Retiring on Dividends 104: Income Investing (Closed-End Funds)
Retirement planning is just like the years you spend at work—you require income to fund your lifestyle. There isn’t a magic formula that will allow you to retire. The simple truth is that you need more income than your expenses. Once you can achieve this without working, you’ll be financially free. Therefore, during retirement, you…
Options Trading in Your 50s: Generating Major Income
Welcome to your 50s. For many people, the 50s are their highest earning years. They will have climbed the corporate ladder, raised their kids, bought a house, and saved for retirement. However, the worst thing we can do before retirement is become complacent. We can’t let our money stay stagnant. Our 50s are a fantastic…
Retiring on Dividends 103: Dividend Growth Investing (High-Yield)
You need to earn 10% interest on your investments to beat inflation while paying taxes. However, there are many different ways to generate 10% annual returns. You can take the growth model, investing in index funds and growth stocks like Facebook (META) and Amazon (AMZN). My favorite way to invest is in high-yielding products that…
The Four Principles of Income Investing
I’m a huge fan of the magic of dividend growth investing. DGI uses the power of compounding to create massive income and capital gains in the future. However, as much as I love DGI, I prefer the magic of income investing. Income investors seek current income that produces cash today—not tomorrow. When you purchase one…
The Four Principles of Dividend Growth Investing
The best way to become a great investor is to have principles you stand by. Conversely, it is good to understand the principles of strategies you follow. Most people follow the 401 (k) investment philosophy. This philosophy states that you invest in low-cost mutual and index funds until retirement. Upon retirement, you sell shares to…
Retiring on Dividends 102: Dividend Growth Investing (High Growth)
There are many ways to retire on dividends, but you’ll have to pick the best path according to how you want your future life to look. Some people love to see their portfolio’s total value grow and compound, while others prefer to see their portfolio’s income grow and compound. Welcome back to the Retiring on…
Retiring on Dividends 101: Preparing for Passive Income
They taught us to work for money. Working is so ingrained in our nervous system that we get anxious when not working. When we aren’t working, we feel the world will collapse upon us. But the rich don’t work for money; they work for assets. Once they have enough assets, the assets work for them.…
Options Trading in Your 20s: Build Wealth at 30% Annual Returns
Most of us don’t have a lot of money in our 20s. In fact, we spend our 20s trying to have fun on a budget. If you can devote just a tiny portion of your 20s to income generation, you can exploit the power of compounding at an early age. But what is the best…
$5,000 Dividend Shopping Spree!
Isn’t it fun to go shopping with money someone else gives you? I remember my parents giving us $100 in 1991 to shop for the school year. We had to purchase our jeans (Wranglers), T-shirts, socks, and underwear (whitie-tighties). We had so much fun during those times. Those days were over once I turned 16…
Dividend Investing for Everyone! Change Your Life Today
Are you tired of being the low person on the totem pole? Do you hate not having money in your pocket when you want to purchase something? I hated working hard for money and not having enough money in the budget to take my family to the movies. But I changed my life. I now…
I Bought a Tiny Home: Are They the Solution to the Housing Crisis?
Millions of Americans are experiencing the housing crisis. Those who bought homes before 2020 should be sitting pretty. However, things look bleak if you are in the market after the pandemic. Personally, I believe the solution lies in having multiple families living together and saving money. Eventually, they will be able to afford a home…
The Sacrifice of Retirement: It Won’t Come Easily But Is Possible
When did we start believing that retirement would come easily? Why do we think someone would pay us for our most unproductive years? The concept of retiring is a reasonably new idea. People who owned farms and businesses usually worked until they died. When social security became an entitlement, the government believed people would only…
Floating Away: The Magic of Floating Rate Preferred Shares
Something strange happened to me the other day; I received more money from one of my preferred shares than anticipated. Rarely do things surprise me, but this was a great way to start the day. Nothing makes you feel more special than earning more money on your investments than you thought. But what happened? Why…
Don’t Work Hard for Money 2; Work for Income-Producing Assets
Why do you go to work? Is it to pay bills or provide for your family? Do you go to fund your kid’s college tuition or purchase a home? These things are noble but may not get you the desired results. In fact, there is truly only one reason to work—at least at first. Why…
Count Every Penny: Budgeting Your Way to Financial Independence
Why is it so difficult for us to budget and save? Why do we use scapegoats like inflation, price increases, and wage stagnation to deflect? The simple fact is that we must count every penny that enters and leaves our homes. That’s the only way we will build wealth and retire early. But somewhere along…
The 40-40-40 Plan vs. Happy Cash Flow Retirement
They told us that if we worked hard, were smart with our money, and planned well, we would have a great, exciting retirement. How is that working out for you? The 40-40-40 plan involves working 40 hours a week for 40 years and receiving 40% of your income during retirement. That was the plan they…
