#dividend-investing

#dividend-investing

USRT tracks the FTSE Nareit Equity REITs 40 Act Capped Index, a market-cap weighted benchmark of U.S. equity REITs that excludes mortgage REITs and timber. The ETF holds names like Prologis, Welltower, and Equinix at the top of the book, with weights mirroring the broader listed real estate market.

Monthly payouts in 2026 have run $0.102, $0.105, and $0.108, tracking close to the $0.1055 average seen across 2025. That is a meaningful step up from the $0.0865 average in 2024.

Baby boomers are navigating an uncertain global market and looking for investments that can generate steady passive income. They're looking for income-generating assets and capital preservation. But this doesn't have to mean a high-risk investment that generates a minimal payout.

In my view, interest rates are more likely than not going to head lower over the course of 2026 and into 2027. I'm not saying we're due for a pandemic-like selloff, but I do think that weakness in the labor market is likely more protracted than the government data suggest. As such, I do think the makeup of the Federal Reserve, and which way many of its presidents and voting members lean (toward providing support for the labor market over battling inflation) could lead to much faster rate cuts than many think.

The stock market hates inflation. There are not many stocks that are little affected today, if any. However, safe-haven stocks may even rise due to demand. At the top of this list is Altria (NYSE: MO), the cigarette and tobacco king. People who smoke do not stop smoking, even during periods of conflict.

Time in the market beats timing the market every single day of the week. Decades of data prove staying invested through thick and thin lets compounding do its magic, turning modest gains into serious wealth. For long-term investors craving those sleep-at-night returns, actively managed ETFs can be a great solution.

Preferred shares represent a hybrid form of ownership. They're classified as equities for accounting and capital structure purposes. However, this asset's cash flows resemble debt. Holders receive fixed or floating dividends that must be paid before common shareholders see a cent, giving these securities a senior position in the payout hierarchy.

Consumer staples stocks generate reliable income, hold up during downturns, and tend to raise dividends even when growth slows. The iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF (KXI) packages that defensive logic into a single fund, holding 100+ global consumer staples companies with a 0.39% expense ratio and a 2.27% dividend yield.

Realty Income increased from $11 to $33 (3x appreciation) PLUS dividends during the same 'lost decade' period when S&P 500 was flat,

John Bogle, the legendary Vanguard Group founder and index fund pioneer, left an enduring legacy of knowledge and inspiration. He was wealthy, of course, but you can apply Bogle's dividend investment principles with $10,000 or less. Plenty of today's investors are enamored with high-yield stocks, but Bogle didn't over-focus on the biggest dividends. Instead, he adhered to sensible, basic principles that have stood the test of time. His fans, known as "Bogle-heads," come from a variety of backgrounds and have investment accounts of different sizes. Thankfully, Bogle left the world a dividend methodology - with action steps that practically anyone can use - to grow a small portfolio over the long term.

It has been trading sideways since 2023 due to a variety of issues. Namely, interest rates have been too high, and this hasn't given REITs the room to recover. Remember, REITs are businesses with high debt loads and high interest rates, which puts disproportionate pressure on them. However, these REITs have been able to avert the worst. They've drawn lessons from 2008, and most of them have paid growing dividends in the past couple of years and have even expanded them.

If you stop and think about it briefly, a 4% yield doesn't seem all that impactful at a quick glance, but the reliability of such a number is where investors are hoping to win in 2026. Steady income definitely shifts the mindset from price-watching to income-building, which is a healthier and more sustainable approach to investing during volatile markets. You could even look at this 4% steady yield approach another way and think about how payouts will land in your bank account every quarter,