Yahoo Finance Improve Your Retirement Income with These 3 Top-Ranked Dividend Stocks
Believe it or not, seniors fear running out of cash more than they fear dying.
And retirees have good reason to be worried about making their assets last. People are living longer, so that money has to cover a longer period. Making matters worse, income generated using tried-and-true retirement planning approaches may not cover expenses these days. That means seniors must dip into principal to meet living expenses.
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.
Today's retirees are getting hit hard by reduced bond yields - and the Social Security picture isn't too rosy either. Right now and for the near future, Social Security benefits are still being paid, but it has been estimated that the Social Security funds will be depleted as soon as 2035.
So what can retirees do? You could dramatically reduce your expenses, and go out on a limb hoping your Social Security benefits don't diminish. On the other hand, you could opt for an alternative investment that gives a steady, higher-rate income stream to supplant lessening bond yields.
Invest in Dividend Stocks
We feel that these dividend-paying equities - as long as they are from high-quality, low-risk issuers - can give retirement investors a smart option to replace low-yielding Treasury bonds (or other bonds).
Look for stocks that have paid steady, increasing dividends for years (or decades), and have not cut their dividends even during recessions.
Going beyond those familiar names, you can find excellent dividend-paying stocks by following a few guidelines. Look for companies that pay a dividend yield of around 3%, with positive annual dividend growth. The growth rate is key to help combat the effects of inflation.
Here are three dividend-paying stocks retirees should consider for their nest egg portfolio.
OFG Bancorp (OFG) is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.2 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.08%. This compares to the Banks - Northeast industry's yield of 2.53% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.64%. The company's annualized dividend growth in the past year was 66.67%. Check OFG Bancorp (OFG) dividend history here>>>
Paramount Group (PGRE) is paying out a dividend of $0.08 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 4.88% compared to the REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry's yield of 4.38% and the S&P 500's yield. The annualized dividend growth of the company was 10.71% over the past year. Check Paramount Group (PGRE) dividend history here>>>
Currently paying a dividend of $0.13 per share, RPT Realty (RPT) has a dividend yield of 4.9%. This is compared to the REIT and Equity Trust - Residential industry's yield of 3.63% and the S&P 500's current yield. Annualized dividend growth for the company in the past year was 8.33%. Check RPT Realty (RPT) dividend history here>>>
But aren't stocks generally more risky than bonds?
Overall, that is true. But stocks are a broad class, and you can reduce the risks significantly by selecting high-quality dividend stocks that can generate regular, predictable income and can also decrease the volatility of your portfolio compared to the overall stock market.
Combating the impact of inflation is one advantage of owning these dividend-paying stocks. Here's why: many of these stable, high-quality companies increase their dividends over time, which translates to rising dividend income that offsets the effects of inflation.
Thinking about dividend-focused mutual funds or ETFs? Watch out for fees.
If you prefer investing in funds or ETFs compared to individual stocks, you can still pursue a dividend income strategy. However, it's important to know the fees charged by each fund or ETF, which can ultimately reduce your dividend income, working against your strategy. Do your homework and make sure you know the fees charged by any fund before you invest.
Bottom Line
Regardless of whether you select high-quality, low-fee funds or stocks, looking for a steady stream of income from dividend-paying equities can potentially lead you to a solid and more peaceful retirement.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
OFG Bancorp (OFG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
RPT Realty (RPT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Paramount Group, Inc. (PGRE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
