Thursday, December 1, 2022

November 2022 Dividend Income

 



The time has come to give thanks for the dividends that were received the past month.  The mid-quarter months are always something of a humdinger around here and this past month was no exception.  There's a lot to cover, so let's dive right in.


Armanino Foods of Distinction (AMNF): $0.60

Sprague Resources (SRLP): $8.35

Campbell's (CPB): $4.10 ($0.40 taxable/$3.70 IRA)

Publix $30.37 ($20.36 taxable/$9.71 401K)

AT&T (T): $4.01

Verizon (VZ): $7.27 ($0.74 taxable/$6.53 IRA)

Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD): $0.18

Lowe's (LOW): $3.15 (IRA)

AGNC: $1.30

General Dynamics (GD): $0.28  

GlobalXSuperdividend (SDIV): $0.12

Apple (AAPL): $0.02

Procter & Gamble (PG): $5.00 ($.26 taxable/$2.74 IRA)

Hormel (HRL): $3.86 ($1.26 taxable/$2.60 IRA)

JP Morgan Exchange Traded Fund (JEPI): $4.85 (IRA)

Realty Income (O): $3.60 ($1.37 taxable/$2.23 IRA)

Stag Industrial (STAG): $0.13

Kinder Morgan (KMI): $2.55

Main Street Capital (MAIN): $0.16

Omega Healthcare (OHI): $4.92

Tanger Factory Outlets (SKT): $1.15

Paychex (PAYX): $1.97

Westrock (WRK): $1.74

Starbucks (SBUX): $0.33

Papa Johns (PZZA): $0.15

Invesco High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD): $0.15

Wisdom Tree Midcap Dividend Fund (DON): $0.08

Baird Aggregate Bond Fund: $2.31 (401K)


With the IRA now being a factor, I've found a new way to lay things out.  I actually like it better as it streamlines things substantially.  

The sub-total for the taxable accounts came to $54.58.  Retirement accounts threw in $37.82.  Grand total comes to a whopping $92.40.  Dang.  That's crazy, coming up on the triple digits in a non-December month.  It's gonna be sweet.

Bad news, though, is that Sprague went private so that's the last time you'll be seeing that one.  It was a heavy hitter, so crossing the aforementioned threshold is going to take a little longer, but we move forward. On a similar note, Lumen eliminated their dividend, so I sold off that position.  It's fewer things to monitor and it does give me some cash to redeploy so it isn't without an upside.  As of now, the plan is to use that to help fund 2023 endeavors because I have plans.

Interest clocked in at $1.74







In addition to the buys on Robinhood (that you can read about here, here, and here,) I also made single share buys of VF Corp (VFC), Paramount Global (PARA), and Kinder Morgan (KMI).  On top of that, I bought around 3.5 shares of Publix.  It's an asset I plan on utilizing more going forward.  


The portfolio has been updated accordingly.


The mid-quarter month continues to be a force with which to be reckoned.  It is but an appetizer, this time, as next month...next month is gonna be fun.  









Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Robinhood Buys: 11/16/2022

 






ConEd (ED): $2

Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG): $2

Realty Income (O): $2

WisdomTree Midcap Dividend fund (DON): $2

Main Street Capital (MAIN): $2

Exxon Mobil (XOM): $2

SJW Group (SJW): $2

Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD): $2 

HP (HPQ): $2

NextEra Energy (NEE): $2





Bitcoin (BTC): $1

Ethereum (ETH): $1

Dogecoin (DOGE): $1


I know, everybody is fleeing crypto, but my holdings are miniscule and I'm not pouring large sums in, so I don't see any harm in continuing.  




















Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account


Thursday, November 10, 2022

Robinhood Buys: 11/10/2022


 


ConEd (ED): $2

Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG): $2

Realty Income (O): $2

Invesco High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD): $2

Main Street Capital (MAIN): $2

Exxon Mobil (XOM): $2

SJW Group (SJW): $2

Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD): $2

HP (HPQ): $2

Vanguard Total Market ETF (VTI): $2


Bitcoin (BTC): $1

Ethereum (ETH): $1

Dogecoin (DOGE): $1 




SPHD broke the full share threshold, so I'll be able to swap that out for another position on the next go around.  It's good to check another one off the list.





Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

October 2022 Dividend Income: Haymaker

 



The stock market can be a spooooky place.  This is especially true in volatile times such as the ones in which we find ourselves.  One tool that, if used properly, can help you navigate the dark and foggy terrain is dividends.  That little qualifier is an important one, but that is why I, as well as several other dividend bloggers track their progress.  I mean, it's fun too, but ideally it will help educate and inspire others to take their first steps in the path to financial freedom.  I've been at this for a couple of years now and while the numbers did start out comically small (they usually do) if you stick to it, you will see progress and growing momentum.  Will this month prove the point or will a jump scare knock me down a peg or two?   Let's find out, shall we?

PepsiCo (PEP): $5.23 ($1.78 taxable/$3.45 IRA)

SpartanNash (SPTN): $1.07

Domino's (DPZ): $0.09

iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO): $4.45 ($0.34 taxable/$4.11 IRA)

Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF (VOOG): $0.07

Coca Cola (KO): $4.98 ($1.46 taxable/$3.52 IRA)

Paramount Global (PARA): $1.71

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): $3.36 ($0.40/$2.94 IRA)

Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU): $0.63

Iron Mountain (IRM): $3.78

Kimberly Clark (KMB): $1.22

HP (HPQ): $0.11

AGNC: $1.28

GlobalXSuperdividend (SDIV): $0.12

Franklin Resources (BEN): $2.92

Leggett & Platt (LEG): $1.38

Realty Income (O): $3.57 ($1.34 taxable/$2.23 IRA)

Main Street Capital (MAIN): $0.14

JP Morgan Exchange Traded Fund (JEPI): $3.85 (IRA)

Stag Industrial (STAG): $0.13

Best Buy (BBY): $6.62

McCormick (MKC): $0.05

Wisdom Tree (DON): $0.03

Invesco High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD): $0.12


That brings the taxable sub-total to $26.78, barely up from last quarter

Over in the 401K, the Baird Aggregate Bond fund threw in $2.35.  If we add that to the IRA dividends, it comes to $22.45. Thus, the grand total comes out to $49.23.  That is a lot better.  Obviously, those IRA buys made the month.  Be that as it may, coming close to breaking the $50 threshold in the weakest quarter month is pretty nice.

Interest clocked in at $1.45.





In addition to the buys on Robinhood (which you can read about here, here, here, and here) I also made single share buys of Westrock (WRK), VF Corp (VFC), Paramount Global (PARA), and Leggett & Platt (LEG).  Nothing too crazy, but a steady and consistent round of buys for the month.

On other fronts, as expected, the balance sheet took an Ivan Drago right cross to the face, as I had to make a car purchase.  The lease was up on my Civic and while Honda did extend it for another six months, I did need to finally wrap it up and I chose to purchase it.  Of course, I needed a loan, which was a hassle, but there are actually quite a few upsides to this.

For one, there's an endgame.  The lease cycle goes on and on. At least now, I'll hit a point where the loan is paid off and I'll be able to eliminate that expense from the budget.  Not going to lie, I'm looking forward to it.  More money to invest or enjoy, not to mention the fact that it's going to result in a lot less off-season hunkering. 

Better yet, the monthly payment on the loan is less than what I was paying on the lease.  So, if I keep paying what I've been paying, I'll still have it paid off early.  This is the plan, though I'm going on top of even that by throwing another 10 bucks at it every week just for a little extra.  As much as I love the idea of having it paid off in 2023, I'm not sure how realistic a goal that is.  2024 on the other hand, that seems much more doable.  We'll see how things play out, though.

In the meantime, we still have a little under two months left to make moves and set the stage for 2023... or at least prepare for whatever random curve balls the year decides to throw at us.  Hold on to your butts...I guess.










Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Robinhood Buys: 11/2/2022





Alright, partner, keep on rollin' baby; you know what time it is.



HP (HPQ): $2

ConEd (ED): $2

Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG): $2

Invesco High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD): $2

Realty Income (O): $2

Exxon Mobil (XOM): $2

Main Street Capital (MAIN): $2

SJW Group (SJW): $2

Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD): $2

Vanguard Total Market ETF (VTI): $2.08


Bitcoin (BTC): $1

Ethereum (ETH): $1

Dogecoin (DOGE): $1

















Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account


Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Robinhood Buys: 10/26/2022


 



Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG): $2

ConEd (ED): $2

Realty Income (O): $2

Invesco High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD): $2

Exxon Mobil (XOM): $2

SJW Group (SJW): $2

Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD): $2

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): $2

PepsiCo (PEP): $2

Main Street Capital (MAIN): $2

USDC: $1

Bitcoin (BITC): $1

Ethereum (ETH): $1

Dogecoin (DOGE): $1


A lot of these are on the verge of hitting that full share threshold so you'll probably be seeing them for the next few weeks. There's still room for some variety, though.  They should get there by year's end so that'll be good to see. By that point I should be able to bring the batches back, but for now I just want to keep trying to fill out some of these positions and eliminate post decimal digits.








Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Robinhood Buys: 10/19/2022

 




Invesco High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD): $2

ConEd (ED): $2

Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD): $2

Starbucks (SBUX): $2

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): $2

Vanguard Dividend Apprecation ETF (VIG): $2

Papa Johns (PZZA): $2

Domino's (DPZ): $2 

Yum (YUM): $2

Vanguard Total Market ETF (VTI): $2.99



Bitcoin (BTC): $1

Ethereum (ETH): $1

USD Coin (USDC): $1

Dogecoin (DOGE): $1






Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Robinhood Buys: 10/11/22

 




ConEd (ED): $2

Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD): $2

Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG): $2

Exxon Mobil (XOM): $2

Realty Income (O): $2

Vanguard Total Market ETF (VTI): $2

Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD): $2

NextEra Energy (NEE): $2

SJW Group (SJW): $2

Unilever (UL): $2

Bitcoin (BTC): $2

Ethereum (ETH): $2

Dogecoin (DOGE): $2

USD Coin (USDC): $2


Went above and beyond this week as I finally dipped my toe into the waters of crypto. Nothing too out there.  Went with the two flagship coins and a stablecoin that has some income potential with interest. As for DOGE, well if you're not doing DOGE, why are you even cryptoing, am I right?  Honestly, though, that one is just for me.  It amuses me.  Those holdings will be an interesting new element to add to the proceedings. 










Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Robinhood Buys: 10/5/2022

 



It's the super-science edition! Go Team Venture!


AT&T (T): $2

Verizon (VZ): $2

Lockheed Martin (LMT): $2

General Dynamics (GD): $2

Intel (INTC): $2

Apple (AAPL): $2

Microsoft (MSFT):  $2 

IBM (IBM): $2

HP (HPQ):  $2 

Lumen Technologies (LUMN): $2




Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account

Sunday, October 2, 2022

September 2022 Dividend Income: I Don't Want to Come Back Down From This Cloud

 



We move one step closer to the end of 2022.  In fact, we enter the final stretch as the fourth quarter of the year begins.  For most investors, the quarter end is the highlight month for dividends.  Historically for me, that hasn't been the case, but things can always change and 2022 has been pretty crazy, so an upheaval wouldn't be that surprising.  Will it turn out to be the case?  Let's find out, shall we?



Kroger (KR): $1.74 

SJW: $3.52 

Intel (INTC): $0.28 

Unilever (UL): $0.17 

JM Smucker (SJM): $0.19

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): $0.61

Pfizer (PFE): $1.25

Microsoft (MSFT): $0.03

Emerson (EMR): $0.33

Exxon Mobil (XOM): $7.81

Yum (YUM): $0.17

Lumen (LUMN): $1.44

Walgreen’s Boots Alliance (WBA): $1.04

AGNC: $1.27

Target (TGT): $0.41

Chevron (CVX): $0.41

3M (MMM): $0.47

GlobalXSuperdividend (SDIV): $0.14

Realty Income (O): $3.54

Wendy’s (WEN): $1.32

ConEd (ED): $0.57

Main Street Capital (MAIN): $0.13

Stag Industrial (STAG): $0.10

NextEra Energy (NEE): $2.61

Hershey’s (HSY): $2.07

Home Depot (HD): $3.80

McDonald’s (MCD): $0.34

Flowers Foods (FLO): $1.46

VF Corp (VFC): $1.69

Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Fund (VIG): $0.50

Vanguard High Dividend Yield Fund (VYM): $5.45

Kraft Heinz (KHC): $1.75

Invesco High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD): $0.11

Lockheed Martin (LMT): $0.40

Schwab US Dividend Equity Fund (SCHD): $4.89

Main Street Capital (MAIN): $0.06

Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD): $0.19

Vanguard Total Market ETF (VTI): $4.48

Vanguard REIT Fund (VNQ): $0.95

Wisdom Tree (DON): $0.05

Schwab US Dividend Equity fund (SCHD): $4.46

T.Rowe Price (TROW): $4.80


That brings the sub-total to a whopping $67.  This does include IRA dividends as well.  I'll need to figure out a way to separate those at some point.  So, no, that's not a taxable sub-total.  Still a pretty hefty chunk of change, especially in comparison to last quarter and last year.

The 401K also threw in a little bit

 

Baird Aggregate Bond fund: $2.08

DFA US Small Cap: $1.63


That sub-total comes to $3.71


All in all, dividends clocked in at $70.71.  That is how you end a quarter. It even beat the most recent mid-quarter total.  Those IRA buys clearly made a difference and set things right, allowing the quarter end to reclaim its throne.... well for now anyway.  In the meantime, though, I'm really looking forward to seeing what sort of numbers December ends up presenting.  Considering the humdigger last year's was, this one should be quite a bit of fun.  Admittedly, I was hyped before, but with these IRA moves, it just makes it that much more enticing.

Interest clocked in at $1.21.  Yeah, the contrast between saving and investing is pretty stark.  Still, it's better than nothing and Current is starting to pick up steam.  I'm at semi-daily payments now.  Sure, it's just a penny here and there, but momentum is momentum.

I welcome any positive movement, especially as the balance sheet got clobbered this past month.  Diminished assets and higher liabilities; no bueno.  This coming month is going to be even worse on that front.  I'm going to do what I can to cushion the blow, but it'll still be pretty fugly.  

Will still be investing what I can, of course.  These downturns are a bit of a gut-punch, and it can be frustrating to work and invest only to see the numbers shrink, but you just have to think of that fiscal zenkai boost that'll come when the market does bounce back.  




Speaking of investing, that acts as a nice segue to the next portion of the post.

In addition to the buys on Robinhood (which you can read about here, here, here, and here) I also made single share purchases of Paramount Global (PARA), AT&T (T), and Walgreen's Boots Alliance (WBA) over on E-Trade.

Over in the IRA's, I bought 6 shares of Stanley Black & Decker (SWK), 7 shares of Schwab's US Dividend Equity Fund (SCHD), 8 shares of JP Morgan ETF Trust (JEPI), 4 shares of Kimberly Clark (KMB), 12 shares of Scott's Miracle Gro (SMG), and 12 shares of iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO).

I also sold off my position in Store Capital (STOR) after hearing that they were being sold.  I don't think I ended up getting a dividend from them, which is a shame (especially since they announced one last dividend increase shortly after,) but the announcement did drive the price up, so I got a pretty good return on that front.  That did help pay for one of those buys, though I honestly don't remember which one off the top of my head.

That marks the last of the IRA capital.  It's sad.  I'm not going to lie, that was fun.  Now all I can do is wait for the dividends to replenish the cash supply until it hits a point where I can make a substantial buy.  I mean, technically, now that I have a working printer, I can put money in, but truth be told, I'll be firing money in so many directions over the next year or so that I don't mind putting that on hold for a little while.  At least that prevents me from having to set up another account either on E-trade or somewhere else.

The portfolio has been updated accordingly.

September was an interesting month overall.  There's still one quarter left to go.  Plenty of time to move the needle and set the stage for 2023. 





Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Robinhood Buys: 9/27/22

 





iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO): $2

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): $2

McDonald's (MCD): $2

WisdomTree Midcap fund (DON): $2

SJW Group (SJW): $2

Vanguard Total Market ETF (VTI): $2

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): $2

Coca-Cola (KO): $2

PepsiCo (PEP): $2

Realty Income (O): $2







Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Robinhood Buys 9/22/2022

 



iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO): $2

Intel (INTC): $2

Exxon Mobil (XOM): $2

Chevron (CVX): $2

NextEra Energy (NEE): $2

Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU): $2

ConEd (ED): $2

Kroger (KR): $2

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): $2

Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD): $2






Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account

Sunday, September 18, 2022

Brad Thor bibliography: 'Takedown'


 

Mr. Thor breaks the previously established "Star Trek" pattern by delivering a fifth entry that is actually quite solid in a lot of respects.

Once again, Harvath has to stop some Islamic terrorists.  It's a little sad to see the same group take center stage, but what can you do?  Oddly enough, there's no mention of the vampire virus, the intra-faith coup or the play for world domination from the previous book.   This group has their own objective, and they are quite determined to carry it out.

The first order of business is to blow up all the bridges and tunnels leading in and out of Manhattan.  This early portion of the book was where it really shined.  Thor was in the zone here as the passages describing the ensuing chaos and fear were as gripping and intense as the situation needed them to be. Even though this is one of those rare sequels that de-escalates, it still felt fairly big in scope.

The fact that Harvath is brought together with a full team of former military soldiers to tackle the problem, rather than partnering up with just one capable female, also lends credence to the idea that this is a "big one" in the Harvath-verse. 

Sadly, the book can't carry the momentum.  There is a noticeable drop in steam once you get past those portions.  It's not bad, but it doesn't have the same pop as what came before.

The characters themselves don't have too much opportunity to distinguish themselves.  Harvath was having lunch with an old friend when things started to go down and their banter helps him a little.  The female soldier also gets a memorable scene where she helps Harvath get off of a booby-trapped chair that was wired to explosives.   The others just kind of blend into the background and tag along to provide extra firepower.

One thing that holds this book back is the politics.  This is very "early war on terror" stuff and it does age it a bit.  It was a bit of a problem in this book's predecessor, but it remains here.  There is quite an emphasis on "enhanced interrogation".  

While the book does largely hue towards the "these terrorists are evil, lives are in danger and we don't have time to beat around the bush to get the information we need" both in terms of character dialogue and even the prose itself, the book actually does what a lot of writers can't seem to do and allows the opposing perspective to make valid points.  There's even one point where the terrorists themselves are aghast and disgusted by what one of the interrogators put the captive terrorist through after they find him.  I don't know if it hits the level of "thought provoking", but it at least put in the effort.

This is also the book that introduces the popular recurring character known as "the Troll".  He plays a bit part here, but he is given a clear motivation and he does leave an impression. At one point, it seems like the book is going to paint him as a future adversary to Harvath, which would have been interesting, though it was undercut by the fact that I've read later books and know that he lives and isn't an enemy.  The book itself shows that the two are moving closer to better terms, so it's a brief concept.

This book also marks the first use of a legitimate cliffhanger ending. The book does a great job of making you drop your guard before it happens too.  Harvath gets a house, finds new love, and even gets a puppy!  Then bam! A thing happens.  Won't spoil it, though the dog gets out OK from what I can tell, so that's good.  We don't know who's behind it, but it says an assassin from Harvath's past.  Now, it's quite possible that it's an assassin we've never seen before.  This series has done that, but I do like the idea of a returning enemy from one of the previous books making a play for revenge.  I guess I'll just have to dive into "The First Commandment" to see what all the hubbub is. 







Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account

Saturday, September 17, 2022

Money Moves for the Weekend

 If you're an investor looking to reach financial freedom, you might find the weekends to be a vexing time due to markets being closed.  Sure, you can put buys in that will register on the next business day, but it isn't quite the same thing.  Still, though, there are other cards to play.  The market isn't the only area where you can make progress towards the goal.  On the contrary, you have a myriad of options that can be used to both move the needle and hopefully help scratch that itch until you can make stock buys again.  Given that we are in the midst of a weekend, I thought it would be appropriate to rundown some of these options for your consideration.


1. Crypto

Now, I don't do crypto...yet.  I have been giving serious consideration to dipping my toe in that water.  Whether I use it as a way to kick things up a notch next year or get started sooner is really the only thing I'm unsure of at this point, but that's neither here nor there.  Unlike "stonks", crypto can be traded all day every day.  You can nab yourself some Bitcoin, Ethereum, Doge, or any other coin you can think of.  It might not be a passive income generator, but it does seem to get results.


2. Debt

While building assets is good, there's nothing wrong with attacking liabilities as well.  Doing both is a great way to strengthen your balance sheet, as you see growth with less baggage.  Deploying some capital to help pay off a high interest credit card balance is certainly an option but aiming your money at a debt that you can eliminate altogether, thus removing a payment from your monthly budget might be more beneficial in the long term.  Something like your car or student loan, heck even the mortgage. I know some don't sweat debt because they feel like market returns are higher than the burden of loan interest, but it really is a "can't miss" money move regardless of what the market is doing.  It is a step towards a much less stressful life, which is really its own kind of dividend.  Plus, with inflation being what it is, this could soak up those excess dollars floating around and help achieve that "soft landing".  OK, that's conjecture on my part (though I think it makes sense,) but the "can't miss money move" part is totally true regardless.


3. IRA's


The market may be closed, but you can still move capital into your retirement account(s) to fund future stock buys.  These have the added perk of tax benefits.  Throw some money into a traditional IRA and you've created some "pre-tax" dollars even before you've used them.  Funding a Roth is also a solid play, especially in the long term, though in the short term it might not create the same rush.  Still, pumping money into either one should satisfy that desire to make a money move, or at the very least, help hold you over until Monday.


4.  Savings accounts


If there is one perk to this fiscal fiasco, it's that savings accounts are actually somewhat useful again.  True, the rates on high yield savings accounts are still losing to inflation, but they've increased enough where I didn't feel the need to put the term "high yield" in quotes...like I just did there.  You know what I mean.  Capital One is paying 1.9%, which is comparable to some dividend stock yields and a huge leap up from the 0.4% it was paying earlier this year.  Of course, Current is also an option with its 4% rate.   That's not to say that you should abandon stocks, but you can bolster your emergency fund or even build up savings for more general day to day things.  Having a little extra liquid capital does, like clearing debt, provide a certain degree of peace of mind that transcends mere numbers on a spreadsheet.


5. Fundrise


I've been using this real estate investing/crowdfunding platform for a few months, and I like it.   It's a fun addition that is not only outperforming the market, but also provides diversification as well as another stream of income.


So, there you have it.  If you feel restless waiting for the market to open.  Consider making a move on one of these fronts.  It'll help get you to your goal and help take the edge off.  There's no reason why you have to twiddle your thumbs and wait for the opening bell when there is still progress to be made in the meantime.









Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Robinhood Buys: 9/13/2022

 



Stag Industrial (STAG): $2

iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO): $2

Intel (INTC): $2

Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG): $2

McDonald's (MCD): $2

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): $2

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): $2

Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD): $2

Exxon Mobil (XOM): $2

Target (TGT): $2













Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Robinhood Buys: 9/6/2022

 



Stag Industrial (STAG): $2

iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO): $2

Intel (INTC): $2

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): $2

Realty Income (O): $2

Invesco High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD): $2

McCormick (MKC): $2

Kroger (KR): $2

Vanguard Total Market ETF (VTI): $2

McDonald's (MCD): $2


Got a couple of positions that are ooh so close to that full share threshold.  Thought I'd cross today, but not quite yet.  Soon, though, fewer digits.  I'm looking forward to it.






Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account

Thursday, September 1, 2022

August 2022 Dividend Income

 



Another month has come to pass.  Before we go forward, let's take a glance back at what the month prior delivered in terms of dividends.  The mid-quarters are my powerhouse month, so this should be interesting to see. 


Publix: $20.36

Armanino Foods of Distinction (AMNF): $0.60

AT&T (T): $3.37 (+$0.09 QoQ, -$0.76 YoY)

Campbell's (CPB): $0.22 (no quarterly change, +$0.07 YoY)

Verizon (VZ): $0.68 (+$0.10 QoQ, +$0.49 YoY)

General Dynamics (GD): $0.25 (+$0.05 QoQ, +$0.19 YoY)

AGNC: $1.25 (+$0.62 QoQ, +$0.80 YoY)

Sprague Resources (SRLP): $8.16 (+$0.35 QoQ, -$2.77 YoY)

GlobalXSuperdividend (SDIV): $0.14 (no quarterly change, +$0.10 YoY)

Apple (AAPL): $0.01

Hormel (HRL): $1.26 (+$0.05 QoQ, +$0.46 YoY)

Kinder Morgan (KMI): $2.51 (+$0.08 QoQ, +$0.47 YoY)

Omega Healthcare (OHI): $4.17 (+$0.10 QoQ, +$1.00 YoY)

Proctor & Gamble (PG): $4.99 (+$2.94 QoQ, +$3.94 YoY)

Realty Income (O): $3.54 (+$2.25 QoQ, +$2.44 YoY)

Tanger Factory Outlet (SKT): $1.04 (+$0.02 QoQ, +$0.68 YoY)

Main Street Capital (MAIN): $0.12 (+$0.05 QoQ, +$0.10 YoY)

Stag Industrial (STAG): $0.10 (+$0.02 QoQ, +$0.08 YoY)

Westrock (WRK): $1.33 (+$0.01 QoQ, +$0.32 YoY)

Paychex (PAYX): $1.96 (+$0.06 QoQ, +$0.50 YoY)

Starbucks (SBUX): $0.30 (+$0.18 QoQ, +$0.21 YoY)

Papa Johns (PZZA): $0.14 (+$0.03 QoQ, +$0.09 YoY)

Nasdaq Covered Call ETF (QYLD): $0.20 (+$0.17 YoY)

Wisdom Tree (DON): $0.05 (+$0.02 QoQ, +$0.03 YoY)


That brings the sub-total to $56.75, which is up $7.82 from last quarter and up $29.17 (though Publix's pay date shift has more to do with that than anything).  

IRA buys boosted some positions pretty nicely.  A lot of bloggers compartmentalize, but since it's all the same position, I figured I might as well lump it all together.  Although, now that I mention it, I have been compartmentalizing Publix's dividend (we still have the 401K payments, remember).  I could just end up lumping that altogether too and save myself a little bit of trouble.  I mean, the line between retirement dividend and taxable is already blurred anyway, right?  We'll see.

Speaking of the 401K, those numbers are thus

Publix: $7.97 (+$1.32 QoQ)

Baird Aggregate Bond Fund: $1.86 (+$0.34 QoQ, +$1.00 YoY)


That sub-total comes to $9.83, up $1.66 from last quarter and up $5.01 from last year.


Grand total comes to $66.58.  Can't complain about that, not at all.

Interest clocked in at $0.94.  

Current is chugging along nicely.  It's starting to pick up steam and will hopefully negate the drop that was caused by the IRA shift.  

Fundrise is also coming along.  It is paying dividends, but I'm not including that here, as I have ideas as to how to incorporate those numbers going forward.




This was a quasi-light month as far as buys go.  I only had two rounds of buys on Robinhood (which you can read about here and here.)  On E-Trade, I made single share buys of Omega Healthcare and VF Corp.  That's...it.

Most of my stock activity took place in the IRA's, where I continued to redeploy old capital at a pretty solid clip.  I added 8 shares of SJW, 10 shares of Hormel, 2 shares of Hersheys (HSY), 5 shares of VYM, 1 share of VOO, 3 shares of VTI, 3 shares of Lowe's (LOW), 2 shares of Sherwin Williams (SHW), 2 shares of Home Depot (HD), and 4 shares of T. Rowe Price (TROW). 

Quite a few new positions, but they were ones I was planning to add eventually, and they are a bit pricier.  I didn't really want to deal with more fractional positions on Robinhood, so I figured I'd get a dose of them here.

Oh, and the portfolio has been updated, though a majority of the changes were negligible this time around (excluding the IRA buys, natch.)


All in all, this was a solid month.  With the IRA buys, the quarter ends might start becoming a powerhouse in their own right.  It would be more in line with how most investors end up operating.  It's definitely going to be fun to watch how the next few months play out, though.  Should help a rough year end on a slightly higher note and maybe build some positive momentum for 2023.




Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Robinhood Buys: 8/30/2022

 




iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO): $2

Intel (INTC): $2

Vanguard Total Market ETF (VTI): $2

Stag Industrial (STAG): $2

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): $2

General Dynamics (GD): $2

Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD): $2

Unilever (UL): $2

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): $2

Target (TGT): $2


Been a while since we've done this.  
















Click here to open an E-Trade account

Click here to open a RobinHood account

Click here to become a Swagbucks member

Click here to open a FundRise account