One of the things I like best about dividends is that they are paid in cash and thus impossible to fake. With that said, however, dividends can be cut or eliminated altogether if a weak company gets into trouble. Dividend cuts may happen if earnings plummet, debt covenants kick in, acquisitions are made and any number of other reasons. If you’re an investor who relies on dividends to supplement your paycheck or retirement, then the bottom line that you’ll have… Read More

One of the things I like best about dividends is that they are paid in cash and thus impossible to fake. With that said, however, dividends can be cut or eliminated altogether if a weak company gets into trouble. Dividend cuts may happen if earnings plummet, debt covenants kick in, acquisitions are made and any number of other reasons. If you’re an investor who relies on dividends to supplement your paycheck or retirement, then the bottom line that you’ll have less income to cover life’s necessities.#-ad_banner-# The best way to avoid a dividend cut is to limit your investments to financially strong companies that manage their cash conservatively. A key measure for this is the dividend payout ratio, which is the percentage of earnings the company allocates to cover dividends. Lower payout creates a safe cushion for covering the dividend even if temporary setbacks depress the company’s earnings. The great news for income investors is that we are in the middle of… Read More

You know interest rates are low when your most conservative customers are looking to move out of the safety that certificate of deposits (CDs) provide and into dividend-paying stocks, which provide… Read More

You know interest rates are low when your most conservative customers are looking to move out of the safety that certificate of deposits (CDs) provide and into dividend-paying stocks, which provide higher yields, but may not be completely risk-free. The past few years there has been a “buzz” surrounding dividend-paying stocks, and rightly so. Consider the average retiree who needs more income, for example. It’s possible to choose the negligible 1-2% yields Treasury bonds… Read More

You know interest rates are low when your most conservative customers are looking to move out of the safety that certificate of deposits (CDs) provide and into dividend-paying stocks, which provide higher yields, but may not be completely risk-free. The past few years there has been a “buzz” surrounding dividend-paying stocks, and rightly so. Consider the average retiree who needs more income, for example. It’s possible to choose the negligible 1-2% yields Treasury bonds or CDs are offering, but there’s a lot more assets that offer higher yields right now. In fact, StreetAuthority Co-Founder Paul Tracy has already gone on record saying that we’re headed for a “Dividend Decade” — a period where ALL of the market‘s returns in the next decade will come from dividends. He’s convinced that shares of companies that are… Read More

Four weeks ago, I told you about a trading strategy specifically designed to reduce exposure to market volatility, preserve capital and generate income. I know it sounded almost too good to be true, but those readers who acted on the specific trade in that… Read More

If you’re saving for retirement or just need a dependable source of income, then I have found a few stocks I consider standouts for their safety and high yield. With these stocks, it’s possible to build a… Read More

With $200,000 in actual cash fronted by StreetAuthority, I was given the go-ahead to build a real-money portfolio using the “Daily Paycheck” strategy. The strategy is straightforward. I’m building a portfolio of income stocks… Read More

With interest rates still near record lows, dividend stocks remain one of the only options available for income-hungry investors — especially those at or nearing retirement. Thankfully, there are plenty of options out there. We at StreetAuthority… Read More

Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM) is one of the most controversial companies we cover. I understand not everyone likes investing in cigarette manufacturers, and that’s fine… But our job at StreetAuthority is to give you the most timely and profitable… Read More

Big pharmaceutical stocks have fallen out of favor, especially among investors seeking high-growth investments. Not only are these firms releasing fewer new blockbuster drugs, but the sector as a whole is seeing the headwinds from efforts to… Read More

There was a time when real estate was out of reach for the small investor. Back in President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s era, policymakers in Washington noted a clear conundrum. A real estate boom was under way, but most small investors were missing out. It… Read More