Finally!
This morning, WSO aka Watsco aka HVAC Supplier, raised their dividend 13%, which pushed my dividends over to $1001 per month (average). $12k a year. I am proud to reveal my divmeter's new milestone:
I'm halfway to "livable" (green) income. Granted, some (but not many) of these divvies are in a Roth and HSA. None of them are in my 401(k), since I'm not allowed by Fidelity to own dividend paying stocks. I will need to hit 40k if I want to maintain my current lifestyle, after kids have left.
I'm also late because I was on a vacation - took a cruise at the height of Omicron. I won't do that again - wasn't worth the discounted price! I also spent most of January doing taxes and making money decisions. It appears I will be opening a Traditional IRA for my wife, so I can pay her instead of the government. It will also help us simulate having one at some point. It remains to be seen if we will be 72(t) it when retirement rolls around in a few years. I have been giving a lot of thought to the backdoor Roth, but not too much thought, the Democrats may yet be able to eliminate it, but I hope not! My co-worker is retiring in a few months and hopes to take advantage of it. I will be watching (the end of) his career with great interest.
As far as my daughter's education, one of the scholarships we were banking on fizzled out - they ended it last year, and announced it this February. It looks like we will need to fund her education and she will pay us back interest free. Almost every scholarship is "need based" which exposes the ridiculousness of the price gouging that takes place, colleges hoping students get free money from the government or go into debt paying for their school. I consider it an investment in the end, she can pay the old man instead of the loan sharks.
With 2+ months of markets flat or retreating, it is clear we have a president who isn't concerned about the stock market status. With inflation on the rise, Fed raising rates, and supply chain shortages, I'm expecting more of the same going forward. It will be harder to find a few gems here and there. We can wait for Putin to invade Ukraine, and maybe even China invading Taiwan to get a few bargains, but other than that, I don't see any motivation from the White House to keep this Bull market of the past 5 years going.
Dividend Increases & Special Payouts Dec/Jan
- WEC Energy (NYSE:WEC) declares $0.7275/share quarterly dividend, 7.4% increase from prior dividend of $0.6775. ~Keeping up with inflation
- Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) declares $0.47/share quarterly dividend, 4.4% increase from prior dividend of $0.45. ~A little unusual after the record-breaking increase a year ago.
- Fastenal (NASDAQ:FAST) declares $0.31/share quarterly dividend, 10.7% increase from prior dividend of $0.28. ~Keeping up with inflation
- Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE:ADM) declares $0.40/share quarterly dividend, 8.1% increase from prior dividend of $0.37. ~Keeping up with inflation
- Kimberly-Clark (NYSE:KMB) declares $1.16/share quarterly dividend, 1.8% increase from prior dividend of $1.14. ~ Very shameful. KMB will need to sit in the corner this year.
- Chevron (NYSE:CVX) declares $1.42/share quarterly dividend, 6% increase from prior dividend of $1.34. ~Keeping up with inflation (barely)
- Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) declares $1.62/share quarterly dividend, 8% increase from prior dividend of $1.50. ~Keeping up with inflation
- Watsco (NYSE:WSO) declares $8.80/share annual dividend, 12.8% increase from prior dividend of $7.80. ~Sent me over the top!
- December/January Purchases/Sales:
- Sold OHI-100 to tax harvest to Buy QYLD - 128
- O - 10
- QYLD - 49
- JNJ - 2
- ORI - 1
- SO - 9
- XEL - 7
- WTRG - 1
