Your Ticket for Yields Up to 12% (But Get Out Your Passport.)

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AI is popular. Emerging market bonds, needless to say, are not.

Which is perfect for us responsible contrarians striving to retire on dividends. The more neglected an asset, the better.

But what’s the catalyst for these big yields? I’m talking dividends between 6.5% and 12.1%, by the way.

That’s easy. When the buck gets banged up, these funds soar. And that is exactly what is playing out today.

The US dollar has been en fuego for the past decade. I know, it’s hard to believe given noise from the “demise of the dollar” crowd. But these guys have lost a lot of money betting against the buck.… Read more

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Right now we’ve got a terrific setup happening in Treasuries—and we’re going to use it to “flip” the near-4% yield the 10-year pays into a gaudy 7.9%+, paid monthly, to boot.

And there’s more: we’re going to give ourselves a rare “double discount” on our bond buys.

We’ll do it by taking already-discounted bonds (thanks to Jay Powell’s Dirty Harry act on rates) and applying a second discount by purchasing through two closed-end funds (CEFs) we’ll talk about in a bit.

The window to use this strategy is now open. Take a look at this chart to see what I’m getting at here:

The 10-Year Rate Bounces Off Its 4% Ceiling (Again)

Over the past 15 years, the yield on the 10-year has zoomed higher plenty of times, until it smacks into the 4% “ceiling.”… Read more

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When the market goes into the dumpster like it has in the last few months, one group of folks have an advantage: those who hold high-yield closed-end funds (CEFs).

If you haven’t already, now is a great time to join this group, thanks to the selloff. I’ll name an oversold bond fund that’s a great pick to start your CEF portfolio—or add to your current one—in a moment. It throws off a stable 7.5% payout that rolls your way monthly.

A 7.5%-Yielding “Dividend Lifeline”

Investors in “regular” stocks only wish they could get a payout like that. Unfortunately, the measly dividend on the typical S&P 500 stock (around 1.5%) means those who stick to the household names are reliant on price gains alone, so they’re forced to deal with sickening drops like the 2022 mess:

“Regular” Stock Investors Are Forced to Rely on This

To be sure, CEFs, like regular stocks, have fallen in the last few months, too.… Read more

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“Brett, how you hanging in there?” My CPA leaned into his computer on our latest Zoom call.

“Well, every time Gavin Newsom talks, my life seems to get a bit worse.” (The governor of California had just announced that public and private schools would not open in the fall.)

He cracked up. “That comment reminds me of a column you wrote years ago about (then Fed Chair) Janet Yellen. Something about Yellen yapping and closed-end funds (CEFs) rising?”

“Right. Poor Janet. She sure was level-headed compared to (current Fed Chair) Jay Powell. Every time Powell speaks, gold pops!”

The reason is obvious.… Read more

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A big thank you to the 1,640 subscribers who attended our Contrarian Income Report webcast! As discussed on the call, I did my best to address pre-submitted questions during the session.

Even more questions came in during the live webcast. (I love the enthusiasm!) As you know, while I’m not allowed to give personal investment advice, I do read every question. And I like to use this weekly column to address the most common questions. So, let’s chat about your shared thoughts, curiosities and concerns.

Q: Should I be worried about the latest coronavirus? If not me, how about my portfolio?Read more

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