Dividends Overtime

After making my monthly update post for October's dividends, I realized that I hadn't posted an update showing the dividends received over time in quite awhile. That being said, I've compiled an updated graph and it's quite exciting to look at!

As sad as it is to put into perspective how small the dividend payments were in 2015, it's an increasingly obvious boost to the confidence that 2016 has been a much better year for dividends over time. All in all, it means I'm heading in the right direction. As long as I keep grabbing up companies and not being afraid of what the market may hold tomorrow, the trend should continue.

Dividend Income: October

Moving on to November means that it's time to tally the dividends received in October. It also means that we'll very likely be seeing a huge shift either up or down as the next President of the USA is elected in this next month. Whether that means good things or bad things is up to the votes. Regardless, I can't let myself get clouded with wondering.

Whether it moves prices up or down, I need to keep the dividend train moving forward. That's why I grabbed up Coca Cola (KO) when I did. It's a huge company that regardless of the election should find a place to land. I'm just hoping that my strategy moving towards the election holds up. Let's calculate the income for the month of October.

Dividends:

RAI: $14.26

RCL: $5.28

STAG: $1.74

GE: $5.75

Total October Dividends: $27.03

2016 Total Dividends: $243.19

Dividend Income: September

Money, money, money, it's time to count the money! With the end of the month of September comes the chance to count the dividends that have been issued. That being said, September was an awesome month for historical dividend income! Let's count them up:

WFC - $8.36

LB - $4.80

WMT - $8

EMR - $7.60

STAG - $1.74

GME - $7.40

ARII - $6.80

Total: $44.70

Current 2016 Earnings: $216.16

Total 2015 Earnings: $62.25

I think that the most motivating thing about dividend growth investing is seeing the difference between the yearly earnings. So far in 2016, we have completely destroyed the earnings that were taken back in 2015. Because there is such a mental aspect to investing, it's so important to keep track monthly. One or two slips can make it seem like you're not gaining speed. If you feel like you're not gaining speed, you just get more and more discouraged.

Thankfully, I'm good at keeping track of nearly everything in my life. Watching my investment income is no different than anything else in my daily life. Keep track and you will be rewarded. Let's just keep the train moving forward and on track.

Dividend Income: August

The best time of the month has finally come. It's time to compile all the dividends received and see just how much is sitting at the bottom of the passive income coin jar. Although this month was not the most extravagant that the blog has ever seen, it wasn't exactly dead either. Let's see what we brought in this month:

Dividend Income: August

STAG - STAG Industrial - $1.74

ABBV - Abbvie - $5.70

YUM - Yum Brands - $3.22

Total: $10.66

Total Dividends in 2016: $171.66

Total Dividends in 2015: $62.25

Increase YOY at Present: $109.41

Alright, so it's not the most that we've ever seen the Dividend Scythe pick up but it's still moving us forward on our way. Like I remind myself every month, it's the sum of the smaller parts that make up the great whole in the end. It's best not to lose sight of that.

That being said, I wanted to make sure to include the difference in this month's tally from the prior year to show just how far the portfolio has come from the year prior. This serves as a good indicator of whether or not we're heading in the right direction and I'm happy to say that it confirms good things. There is at this time a difference of $109.41 over the entire last year's passive income (and we've still got a few months to go!). Even though the $10.66 of income this month may seem small, it is a small piece of a much larger puzzle that is being put together.

Moving forward this month I really want to hone in on a good high yielding dividend stock. I know that there aren't many out there that have solid numbers but the portfolio has reached a point where it can take some chances to further fuel the ship into outer space. If you've got any ideas of where one might find this fuel, please leave your comment in the section below.

Dividend Income: June

Dividends, dividends everywhere! That’s how I feel looking back at my dividend income for the month of June. Wow, what an incredible turn out for the stocks that I own. It’s really great when all the chips come down at almost the exact same time. Pair this month’s huge amount of payouts with the current upward trend of all my stocks now that everything is rebounding from the Brexit news and my week has been nothing short of incredible to watch.

Months like these remind me just how far I’ve come from the start of the portfolio. When I first started I was barely getting anything out of each month’s dividend payments. My eyes would get tired just thinking about how long I thought it might take to finally see some noticeable movement in my portfolio with dividend payments alone. I was seeing the good capital gains in the portfolio (unrealized) but I wasn’t seeing the true power of the dividend payments. I was simply believing that one day they would start to roll in at a more noticeable rate.

That month has finally come even though the total payment is still only just barely a drop in the bucket when you think about it. Regardless, it makes me feel so much better to see months like this when everything happens all at once. It gives support to the future vision of what the payments will be in the future when I collect even more companies that I love and invest even more in those that I already own that I wish to hold more of. With that being said, let’s compile them together and show what has come in for the month of June.

American Railcar – ARII - $6.80

GameStop – GME - $7.40

L Brands – LB - $4.80

STAG Industrial – STAG - $1.74

Emerson Electric – EMR - $7.60

Walmart – WMT - $8.00

Total Dividends Paid in June 2016: $36.34

What a year I’ve had so far in 2016. It’s completely crushing the previous year of 2015 and we’re only barely over halfway through the year! This month’s dividend payments have come together to equal the highest monthly pay out that the Dividend Scythe has seen to date. It also serves to breach the $100 total dividend income for the year which helps to shatter the goal this year of breaching $100 total in dividend payments. I can’t wait to see where it will be at the very end of the year when all the payments are in. I know that I shouldn’t wish for time to go by quickly because time is valuable but it’s so hard not to wish to be there already when you’re seeing progress and growth.

Anyways, onto bigger and better things in the future! Hope to continue to see all of you in the comments section of my various posts through the next month. Let me know how your own portfolios did this last month in the comments section of this post. I’d love to see where my readers are with their own goals.

Dividend Income: March

March has come and gone but the dividends go on! With the end of the month comes the collection of dividend payments and the compilation of purchases (2!) made this month. Let's get into it!

March 2016 Dividends:

ARII - American Railcar Industries Inc - $6.80
KSS - Kohls - $6.00
EMR - Emerson Electric - $7.60

Total dividend income for March: $20.40
Total dividend income for 2016: $56.92


Stock purchases for the month of March:

3/4/2016 - KSS - Kohls - 12 shares at $47.50/share
3/14/2016 - ARII - American Railcar Industries Inc - 17 shares at $41.77/share


March was a great month for investing. I came away with two new companies in portfolio and only had to give one of my old companies away (dividend cuts suck!). In addition, I also got to cash in on three dividend payments; two of those payments of course coming from the two newly acquired companies. Although it only totals out to $20.40 in payments for the month and this really just offsets the trade fees, it still ramps up the snowball for more and more payments to come.

With that being said, I've closed in on the amount that was accumulated over the entire year of 2015 in just three months. If you don't remember, in 2015, the total dividend payments were a "whooping" $62.25! I'm hoping that next month, I'll pass this amount and soar on forward! The plan then, going forward, is to add further diversification to the portfolio. I feel like it's a very healthy mix right now but I still feel that it has to gain much further growth outwards rather than upwards.

It's important to always remember to diversify. If there are great companies out there, one should have their hands deep in multiple cookie jars if you catch what I'm trying to throw. This also benefits my intelligence as to invest in any of them, I will have to understand what I'm investing in. This means that I'll have to expand my knowledge base of the industries I'll hope to get into.

That's the plan at least. We will have to see if the plan works out the way I hope it does. I've been keeping my eyes on Wells Fargo and I'm hoping and praying that I can grab a piece of the action while the going on it is good.