It’s all in the interest of research: This week I asked people around the office what brands they’re loyal to. StreetAuthority Chief Operating Officer Jack Lizmi pledges his allegiance to TVs by Samsung (London: SMSN) and cars by Toyota (NYSE: TM). Business Development Manager Karie Meltzer remains a fan of… Read More

In 2009, a select group of companies started doing something extraordinary… They created a “Dividend Vault” with billions of dollars inside it — one of the largest cash stockpiles on Earth.  They did it, because these companies… Read More

We’re calling them Retirement Savings Stocks — 10 under-the-radar investments that can provide the cash needed to enhance your quality of life after you leave the workforce. A second income, in effect. Read More

Around the StreetAuthority office, we like to call them “Retirement Savings Stocks.” That’s because they can hand you a second income to supplement what you are already earning. And by… Read More

Around the StreetAuthority office, we like to call them “Retirement Savings Stocks.” That’s because they can hand you a second income to supplement what you are already earning. And by investing in companies like these, you put yourself above other investors when it comes to beating the market. Just consider this… From 1972 through 2011, U.S.-based dividend stocks in the S&P… Read More

Around the StreetAuthority office, we like to call them “Retirement Savings Stocks.” That’s because they can hand you a second income to supplement what you are already earning. And by investing in companies like these, you put yourself above other investors when it comes to beating the market. Just consider this… From 1972 through 2011, U.S.-based dividend stocks in the S&P 500 returned 7.1% annually, far exceeding the 1.5% return for nondividend payers. When picking stocks to add to my High-Yield Investing portfolio, these are some of the criteria I look at when evaluating an income investment: 1. Long track record of paying consistent and rising dividends 2. Matching history of improving earnings 3. Strong cash flow sufficient to pay dividends and then some 4. High projected growth that can lead to dividend increases 5. Zero or little debt, because debt-free companies have more… Read More

Because of new higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains for upper-bracket earners this year, it’s more important than ever to choose investments that are worth holding for the long-term and that grow their dividends. The best way to offset the negative… Read More

Because of new higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains for upper-bracket earners this year, it’s more important than ever to choose investments that are worth holding for the long-term and that grow their dividends. The best way to offset the negative effects of these new tax hikes is through a rising dividend, which also offers inflation protection and support for the share price. Consider the example of a stock yielding 5% with… Read More

Because of new higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains for upper-bracket earners this year, it’s more important than ever to choose investments that are worth holding for the long-term and that grow their dividends. The best way to offset the negative effects of these new tax hikes is through a rising dividend, which also offers inflation protection and support for the share price. Consider the example of a stock yielding 5% with a $100 share price and $5 per-share dividend. An increase in the dividend tax rate from 15% to 20% reduces this stock’s after-tax income to $4 per share from $4.25 ($5 – 20% = $4). But if the stock also grows its dividend by a 5% annual rate, then income quickly rises despite the tax hike. Within five years, this stock will be paying a $6.38 per-share dividend that yields after-tax income of $5.11. That’s considerably more than the $4.25 per share of income collected initially at the… Read More

“Every generation throws a hero up the pop charts.”  But for the purpose of this article, I would change these famous Paul Simon words slightly to “Every market cycle throws an investment guru up the press… Read More

The idea to take on more risk has been sacrosanct among investors since the Dutch East India Co. issued the first publicly available shares more than 400 years ago. To this day, most financial advisors build… Read More

Right now, Corporate America has a huge problem on its hands. I’m not talking about another banking crisis, real estate crash or hedge fund manager running a Ponzi scheme… And I’m not… Read More