This 8% Dividend Is 10% Off (Thank Steve Mnuchin)

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This 8% Dividend Is 10% Off (Thank Steve Mnuchin)

Something shocking just happened: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin cut off a $454-billion program the Federal Reserve uses to keep the bond market running.

A disaster, right?

You’d think so. After all, we’ve heard time and time again that the Fed will do whatever it takes to support the bond market through the crisis. Now a big source of cash needed to do that is gone.

The bond market’s response was even more surprising: crickets.

The junk bond–tracking SPDR Bloomberg Barclays High Yield Bond ETF (JNK) and iShares National Muni Bond ETF (MUB) held on to post-election gains after Mnuchin’s decision was announced.… Read more

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This 5.3% Dividend Is Really 8.4%. Here’s How.

They’re here again: more articles warning us of the “dangers” of municipal bonds. Don’t take the bait, because these wrongheaded articles will steer you away from some of the safest (and highest) dividends out there.

One claim you’ll read in many of these pieces is that states are losing tax revenue, which could mean they’re gong to default on their debt or go bankrupt. In reality, municipal-bond bankruptcies are really rare.

And I mean really rare: since 1970, the municipal-bond default rate has been 0.0043%, according to Moody’s Investor Services. To put that in perspective, the CDC says your chance of getting hit by lightning is 0.0002%.… Read more

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Must Read: These 5% Dividends Are Really 6.9% Payouts in Disguise

Have you read the latest? The media says municipal bonds, our favorite plays for safe, tax-free dividends, are facing a surge in defaults.

That, of course, sounds like terrible news for “munis,” which are issued by local governments to fund infrastructure. Munis’ government backing is a big reason why their default rates are microscopic: typically around 0.01%.

So are our rich, tax-free dividends really about to be stolen away by a wave of defaults? No way! In fact, now is a great time for us contrarians to move into these stout dividend plays.

And when you buy your munis through another income favorite of mine, closed-end funds (CEFs), you get something truly special: 5% yields that, due to their tax-free-nature, work out to much more: if you make, say, $150,000 a year, your “true” payout on a 5% muni-CEF is a sky-high 6.9%.… Read more

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Trade-In Lame 0.5% Bonds for Secure Yields Up to 7.5%

Historically speaking, it’s best to avoid bonds when your central bank is printing money like crazy. More cash can lead to inflation, which can lead to higher interest rates—and put a damper on any fixed-rate holdings.

But not all bonds are bad ideas. Some have their coupons tick higher with rates. Others can even provide you with the upside of a stock! Let’s review US-centric fixed income, starting with the “outhouse” and working our way up to the “penthouse” quality bonds paying as much as 8% today.

US Treasuries: For 0.5%, Why?

Ten-year Treasuries pay just 0.5% or so as I write.… Read more

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Swap Your “Dead Money” ETFs for These 7%+ Payouts

I don’t know why you’d try to cobble together an income stream with miserly ETFs when there are plenty of closed-end funds (CEFs) trading at big discounts, even after the huge market rebound we’ve seen since March.

What’s more, many of these CEFs are throwing off life-changing 7%+ payouts!

Why are we seeing some great deals in CEFs now? Because the folks who invest in these funds tend to be slower to react to events than the jumpy crowd holding the typical S&P 500 stock. That lag gives us a nice opportunity to buy while these funds’ prices are still deeply discounted from the value of the assets in their portfolios (a figure known as the net asset value, or NAV).… Read more

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My Crisis-Investing Strategy for 7.1% Yearly Dividends (forever)

This crisis has hit income-seekers—particularly retirees—hard. After the stomach-churning March selloff came the slashing of “sacred cow” dividends, like those of senior-care providers Ventas (VTR) and Welltower (WELL).

Look to Closed-End Funds for Retirement Income

It’s understandable (and healthy!) if the past few months have made you extra cautious when picking dividend stocks. The good news on the dividend front is that you can still find plenty of high, safe payouts in my favorite corner of the high-yield market: closed-end funds (CEFs).

CEFs are a great pick for retirement income today, for three reasons. First, they still give you access to large-cap stocks you know well: mainstays like Visa (V), Apple (AAPL) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) feature in many equity-CEF portfolios.… Read more

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New: 2 Steps for 9.9% Dividends in This Bubbly Market

Need more proof this market is completely upside down? Look no further than this mess with Hertz Global Holdings (HTZ).

You likely know the story: the car-rental chain, run off the road by the coronavirus, filed for bankruptcy over the Memorial Day weekend. On the first trading day afterward, May 26, the stock fell to $0.56 … then soared 10X!

Investors Compete to See Who Can Lose the Most

It’s pulled back a bit since, but is still up 200% from where it stood right after its bankruptcy filing.

And get this: 159,000 of users of the popular Robinhood trading app owned Hertz as of June 19, according to Robintrack.… Read more

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A 5.8% Dividend With 126% Upside Ahead (contrarians only)

There’s a strong buying opportunity unfolding in an ignored corner of the market right now. Steady dividends of 5.8% (and higher) are waiting for savvy contrarians who jump on it.

By “savvy contrarians,” I, of course, mean us!

And the corner of the market I’m referring to is municipal bonds.

If you’ve been following the muni-bond saga over the last two months, you might find my enthusiasm a bit unfounded. After all, the coronavirus is hammering the finances of cities and states across the country and driving up the risk of muni-bond defaults—right? Not so fast.

Your Muni Default Risk? 0.042%… Read more

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3 “Recession-Fighter” Funds Paying 6%+ (Tax-Free)

Far too many investors ignore dividends, especially in a bull market. It’s easy to see why: with stocks racking up yearly double-digit gains, it’s tough to get worked up about a sub-2% payout (which is what most S&P 500 names pay).

But a crisis flips the script, making safe cash dividends a lot more attractive. And luckily for us, there’s one ignored corner of the market where we can grab payouts that triple what the typical stock dribbles out.

That would be in municipal bonds, or “munis,” for short. They’re a kind of debt instrument issued by local governments throughout the US.… Read more

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Crush Your Tax Bill. Bag 4.3% Dividends (with Upside). Here’s How.

Last Thursday, we took a close look at how closed-end funds (CEFs) holding municipal bonds—issued by states and cities to fund infrastructure projects—can help stabilize your portfolio in times like these.

Today we’re going to dig deeper and put some numbers behind how these CEFs can do even more, including handing you a dividend that’s double what you’d get on stocks—and these payouts are tax-free, to boot!

First, here’s what “munis” did during the selloff in the last week of February:

Muni Bonds Hold the Line—Literally

When stocks plummeted, munis were fine. And why wouldn’t they be? As senior government debts, municipal bonds have strict regulations and restrictions that make them less risky than stocks.… Read more

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