Dumpster Diving for a Discarded (Yet Safe!) 8% Dividend

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The Federal Reserve tightened until it broke something: the small banks. Classic Fed!

Meanwhile, here at Contrarian Outlook, we’ve been waiting patiently for a big buying opportunity. Biding our time. So… is this our moment?

Bank runs are textbook “blood in the streets” moments. There’s fear. There’s loathing. This is usually our cue to spring into action.

So, should we contrarians simply “hold our noses” and buy?

Regional bank stocks haven’t been this cheap since the summer of 2020. Sure, Silicon Valley Bank has gone to zero. But many small businesses, mine included, still prefer to bank with the folks down the street.… Read more

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This GameStop madness is a clear and present danger to our dividends.

Let’s stop and look at exactly what it means for our income streams, and what we’re going to buy to protect ourselves (and cash in with monthly payouts up to 8%!)

When the Dumb Money Runs, We Need to Be Careful

The whipsawing shares of GameStop (GME), AMC Entertainment Holdings and others are classic cases of “dumb money” in action: they’re among the many short squeezes breaking out across the market—where short sellers, including hedge funds, betting against a stock lose big as buyers bid the stock up in an effort to “stick it to the suits.”… Read more

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Preferred stocks are hands-down the most ignored investments in this crisis. That’s too bad, because they’re one of the best ways to get a high, safe income stream. And you can supercharge their dividends by purchasing these “dividend unicorns” through preferred-stock closed-end funds.

Before I go further, let me say that if the term “preferred shares” has your eyes glazing over, I get it: most people feel these investments are too obscure to bother with. But stick with me, because preferreds are actually perfectly suited to today’s contradictory economy, with its high numbers of bankruptcies and a rising stock market.… Read more

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I’m no mind reader, but I’m guessing you’d leap at an investment with the stability of a bond and the upside of a stock right now.

Sounds like something tailor-made for a crisis, right?

The good news is that it’s no pipe dream. These handy “crash-resistant” plays are out there and ripe for buying. We’re going to take a close look at how we can tap them for huge dividends now—yearly cash payouts all the way up to 9.7%!

It’s a retirement strategy every investor should take a look at. Unfortunately, too few even know these “shapeshifter” investments exist.

Lender Today, Shareholder Tomorrow

I’m talking about convertible bonds.… Read more

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Stocks or bonds? With the market off to an inauspicious December start, you may be thinking about shuffling some money from equities into income.

But rich guys and gals know better than to choose. They blend the best of both worlds to collect interest and enjoy share price upside! And we can too.

Their secret tickers? Convertible bonds. (Before the holidays you may be tempted to add some convertibles to your portfolio simply so that you can brag about them to friends and family!)

Convertible bonds, like the preferred shares we have discussed recently, pay regular interest. In this way, they act like bonds.… Read more

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As investors near retirement, they tend to favor bonds, which provide income and less drama than stocks. However, less drama means less potential upside. With retirees living longer than ever before—which means much more time for inflation to eat away at your nest egg’s purchasing power—it’s important to not go too conservative too early in life. And fortunately, today even 65 or 70 may be too early!

One suggested solution for our long life expectancy “problem” is to stay with stocks longer. But stocks can go down as well as up, and a big pullback can inflict permanent damage on a portfolio.… Read more

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Stocks or bonds? For income-focused investors, why not blend the best of both worlds to collect interest and enjoy share price upside?

This is the goal of convertible bonds, a “country club” favorite. (Before the holidays you may be tempted to add some convertibles to your portfolio simply so that you can brag about them to friends and family!)

Convertible bonds, like the preferred shares we discussed last week, pay regular interest. In this way, they act like bonds. You buy them and “lock in” regular coupon payments.

But convertibles are also like stock options in that they can be “converted” from a bond to a share of stock by the holder.… Read more

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It’s a question I get from investors all the time (including subscribers to my CEF Insider service): how should I invest when interest rates rise?

Because fear of rising rates is common among investors, there’s a hidden trap here: if you react to this worry, you will lose money. Instead, you need a second-level understanding of rates so you can bet against this fear and make money. (I’ll also give you 3 great buys that let you quickly and easily pull this off below.)

What Most People Get Wrong About Rising Rates

Here’s the common thinking on rates: as they head up, rising yields on US Treasuries will make these investments more attractive than large-cap US dividend stocks.… Read more

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It’s a piece of advice so common I’m sure you’ve heard it a million times. Too bad it’s dead wrong.

I’m talking about the so-called “wisdom” that index funds always beat funds with real, live human managers.

Before I get into why it’s wrong—and show you 10 smartly run funds that easily beat their ETF cousins (while dropping an unheard-of 7.5% average dividend into our laps)—let me explain the problem here.

First, I should say that there are cases where index investing makes sense. If you’re 20 years old and you’re putting 10% of your income into a retirement fund, planning to retire when you’re 60 and won’t touch your savings till then, index investing may work for you.…
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Want more yield and price upside in your portfolio? You can get both from bonds – if you think a little contrarian, of course.

Just avoid the four common mistakes most bond investors make, and you’ll probably do better than most stock jockeys!

“First-level” financial advisors tell you to sell some stocks and buy more bonds as you get older. Their reasoning is that you should be trading upside for yield and security as you go.

You could actually trade all of your stocks for bonds today and retire comfortably on as little as $500,000. If you buy the right bonds.…
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