How to allocate $5,000 among 5 dividend income and dividend growth stocks and ETFs? (2024)

How to allocate $5,000 among 5 dividend income and dividend growth stocks and ETFs?

For these reasons, when aiming to allocate $5,000 between just 5 dividend income and dividend growth stocks, I would recommend that you invest the largest proportion in ETFs. In the following, I will be more specific about the allocation: I would suggest to invest 40% in SCHD and 40% in DVY.

In a market that generates a 2% annual yield, you would need to invest $600,000 up front in order to reliably generate $12,000 per year (or $1,000 per month) in dividend payments.

The 4-factor dividend growth portfolio is a strategy that leverages the stock selection process of Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF, with a few minor twists. The portfolio returned -2.01% in January, underperforming the S&P 500 by 3.69%.

For most personal investors, an optimal number of ETFs to hold would be 5 to 10 across asset classes, geographies, and other characteristics.

For example, if the average yield is 3%, that's what we'll use for our calculations. Keep in mind, yields vary based on the investment. Calculate the Investment Needed: To earn $1,000 per month, or $12,000 per year, at a 3% yield, you'd need to invest a total of about $400,000.

However, the investment amount required to produce the desired income is considerable. To make $2,000 in dividend income, the investment amount and rate of return must be $400,000 and 6%, respectively. If the rate is lower, say 4%, the upfront investment is $600,000.

Whether you want to live off dividends today or are investing for the long haul, the best way to build a dividend portfolio for steady income is to follow a simple set of risk management principles: Hold between 20 and 60 stocks to reduce company-specific risk. Roughly equal-weight each position.

To generate $5,000 per month in dividends, you would need a portfolio value of approximately $1 million invested in stocks with an average dividend yield of 5%. For example, Johnson & Johnson stock currently yields 2.7% annually. $1 million invested would generate about $27,000 per year or $2,250 per month.

It is possible to achieve financial freedom by living off dividends forever. That isn't to say it's easy, but it's possible. Those starting from nothing admittedly have a hard road to retirement-enabling passive income.

What is the 4% dividend rule?

The 4% rule states that you should be able to comfortably live off of 4% of your money in investments in your first year of retirement, then slightly increase or decrease that amount to account for inflation each subsequent year.

Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index ETF (VYM)

VYM has a dividend yield of 3.01% and paid $3.48 per share in the past year. The dividend is paid every three months and the last ex-dividend date was Dec 18, 2023.

The Stable Dividend portfolio picks the 20 dividend payers with the lowest volatility over the past 260 days. The Frugal Dividend portfolio starts with the 50 dividend payers with the lowest volatility over the past 260 days, and then picks the 10 with the lowest price-to-earnings ratios (P/E).

Disadvantages. However, dividend ETFs are not without pitfalls. One of the tradeoffs for consistent income and lower risk is frequently a lower potential for growth. Companies that regularly pay out dividends tend to be more conservative in reinvesting profits for expansion.

The majority of individual investors should, however, seek to hold 5 to 10 ETFs that are diverse in terms of asset classes, regions, and other factors. Investors can diversify their investment portfolio across several industries and asset classes while maintaining simplicity by buying 5 to 10 ETFs.

But the truth is you can get a 9.5% yield today--and even more. But even at 9.5%, we're talking about a middle-class income of $4,000 per month on an investment of just a touch over $500K. Below, I'll reveal how to start building a portfolio that could get you an even bigger income stream than this today.

Warren Buffett, the venerated investor and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is set to amass over $6 billion in dividend income in the coming year, with a significant portion of this windfall emanating from just three stocks.

Invest in Dividend Stocks

The average dividend yield for stocks in the S&P 500 index is around 2%. To generate $3,000 per month in dividends at a 2% yield, you would need a portfolio of dividend stocks worth $1.8 million. While this may seem out of reach for many, you can start small and build your portfolio over time.

Shares of public companies that split profits with shareholders by paying cash dividends yield between 2% and 6% a year. With that in mind, putting $250,000 into low-yielding dividend stocks or $83,333 into high-yielding shares will get your $500 a month.

How much do I need to invest to get $1,000 a month?

How much do you need to invest to make $1,000 per month in dividends? Making $1,000 per month in dividends requires you to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in dividend stocks. Though there is not technically an exact amount, many experts mark the range as being between $300,000 and $400,000.

According to Forbes, they typically pay measly yields of around 1.5%, which means you would need about $4 million to earn $50,000 a year in dividend payouts.

If you are looking to create wealth and have a longer time horizon, staying invested in growth will enable you to enjoy longer returns. But if you are looking for a more immediate return and steady cash flow, dividend investing could be the best choice for you.

Generally speaking, fewer than 10 ETFs are likely enough to diversify your portfolio, but this will vary depending on your financial goals, ranging from retirement savings to income generation. When building a portfolio of ETFs, it is crucial to consider your investment strategy, objectives, and risk tolerance.

The Motley Fool's position is that investors should own at least 25 different stocks. Diversifying your portfolio in the stock market is a good idea for investors because it decreases risk by ensuring that no single company has too much influence over the value of your holdings.