{"id":1163,"date":"2021-09-30T20:29:58","date_gmt":"2021-09-30T20:29:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readyretiree.com\/?p=1163"},"modified":"2021-10-03T14:02:37","modified_gmt":"2021-10-03T14:02:37","slug":"how-to-retire-with-dividends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readyretiree.com\/how-to-retire-with-dividends\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Retire With Dividends"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Deep Dive Into Dividends<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While some investors may consider them to be investment opportunities for retirees only, dividend stocks are actually stellar additions to any portfolio. The reason for this is compound interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it is essential to know that not all stocks will pay dividends. So, how do you find stocks that do? What are dividends exactly, and how does dividend investing<\/keyword> generate income? We explain all these concepts in this detailed guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are Dividends?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dividends are a share of profits that a company pays to its shareholders.
Suppose you own dividend stocks in a company. After paying its taxes and keeping the retained earnings at the end of the year, the company will share the generated income with the stockholders. You get the share based on the number of stocks you own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an investor, you can reinvest the money or cash it out. While this seems well and good, you should bear in mind that a company may not make any profits in a fiscal year. Or, it may go in loss, which means you will not get dividends on your stocks. Therefore, it is essential to do your research before you start dividend investing<\/keyword>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Types of Dividends<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Companies can choose to pay different types of dividends to their stockholders. Some of them include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cash dividends are most commonly paid by companies. At the end of the fiscal year, the dividends are transferred to the shareholders’ brokerage accounts.
Some companies may pay stock dividends to their shareholders. Instead of giving them cash, they may give more stock shares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A company may pay Special Dividends to its shareholders that are different from standard dividends. These dividends are paid from the company’s profits over the years that it currently does not need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Do Dividends Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you own stocks in a company and its business value goes up, you can sell the stock at a higher price to earn capital gains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, companies do not want to lose investors, so they incentivize them by paying dividends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a company intends on paying dividends, they determine the amount paid to investors for each share and the payment frequency. For example, a company decides to pay annual dividends of $0.5 per share.
An investor with 1000 shares in the company will benefit in two ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One, the share’s price will rise over the course of the year. Two, they will get $500 in dividends annually. The investor has an option to either reinvest this money back into the company or cash it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ex-Dividend Dates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When paying dividends, a company has to determine two dates, namely Ex-Date and Payable Date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the Ex-Date, the accounting team will examine the company’s books. Investors who have dividend stocks in the company will get their dividends based on the number of shares they own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, an investor buying stocks after this date will not get a share of the upcoming payment. Instead, they would have to wait for the subsequent dividend payment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the payable date, it is when the company sends the dividend to the owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Dividend Yield?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dividend yield refers to the percentage a business pays per year in dividends based on every dollar invested by the investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, if a company’s yield is 10% and you have $5,000 worth of stocks, your annual payout will be $500.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bear in mind that dividends are paid based on the “number” of stocks you own and not their “worth.” Because of this, the yield of your holdings is likely to fluctuate as per the share price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How To Calculate Dividend Yield?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can either use an online calculator tool to determine yield or use the simple formula for calculating yield yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dividend Yield = Annual Dividends Paid Per Share \/ Price Per Share x 100<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suppose a company pays $4 per share to its stockholders, and the share’s current price is $100. If you enter these details in the formula above, the yield will be 4%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you can see from the formula, the yield will change with the difference in the share price. For example, if the share price goes up to $150, the yield will be 2.67%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are uncertain about a company’s yield, you can use the following methods to find out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n