Dividend Update : 1st Qtr 2017

image credit to Izquotes.com

All Roads Lead to Rome :

Dividend Income Investing may not suit everyone as it is a more passive and slow way of investment strategy. Some may opt for a more aggressive or growth type of investment as their core strategy but I think many ways or route to achieve the ultimate goal of financial independence.

As retiree  someone without active income, this might be the best strategy for me although I do understand that some may argue that holding so much of REITs and Biz Trust may not be good in term of asset diversification and also will be affected when the interest rate starts creeping up.

For me, the “recurring income “ is more important as I do understand the worry part of asset value’s swing day by day due to market volatility. Every investor would find themselves feeling uncomfortable about short-term losses in their investment. After all, nobody likes to lose money, and a double-digit loss in your portfolio could have negative implications for your long-term financial plans. In order to successfully build wealth, we have to learn to stop worrying about short-term losses. Remembered what the renowned economist John Maynard Keynes ever said “The long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run, we are all dead.”

A common problem for “non-active income earner “ is the income derived from dividend/interest could not be used as “source of income “ for loan application since it is non-taxable and your IRAS assessment will be showing as zero if you don’t have any other active income. ( Well, this might be a “ Good problem “ if you live in a simple lifestyle and spend within your mean, not to indulge in luxury items with minimum debts requirement.)

<Below quoted from HDB’s Website on Loan Eligibility Application >

Income Guidelines and Other Documents

To process your HLE application, we will require valid income documents for all persons listed in the flat application. If the documents are incomplete, the HLE application cannot be processed. We might also request for other documents to be submitted for our credit assessment.

If you are working overseas, please submit additional income proof such as your employment pass, work permit, business documents, or overseas income tax returns. An official English translation is required if the documents are not in English, Mandarin, Malay or Tamil. 

The following types of income/allowance are not considered for credit assessment:

• Rental income
• Interest from fixed deposit/ savings account
• Alimony allowance (divorce cases)
• Bonuses
• Dividend income
• Director fees
• Overtime
• National Service allowance
• Claims/ reimbursement/ expenses
• Overseas allowance for scholarships
• Occupier’s income

<Image Credit: Financialsumo.com>

Dividend Update: 1^st Qtr 2017 :

I will be getting $36,603.55 as my dividend income in 1^st Qtr 2017 and it is slightly lower as compared to 1^st Qtr 2016 of $38,490. This is mainly due to the divestment of some REITs and switching to Banks/ Telco and Conglomerate in early 2016 and also partly because of lower DPU from most of the REITs and Business Trust.

<Image credit to stockspin.com>

I am expecting higher dividend in 2^nd and 3^rd Qtr as most of the banks/ telco and blue chips are paying dividend during these periods but as a whole in 2017, I am projecting much lower dividend due to lower DPU from REITs/Business Trust and lower payout from Telco/ Conglomerates, maybe Banks shall remain unchanged ( excluding the 20 cts special dividend from UOB on the celebration of their 80^th Anniversary in 2016 ).

As I mentioned in my earlier blog post, dividend payouts are not guaranteed and subject to up and downs’ fluctuation , one will really need to do the “stress test “ on how much you could stand for income loss due to lower payout in times of uncertainty.

Base on below from Investopedia, which type of investment styles fit you?

6 Investment Styles: Which Fits You? ( here )

Cheers!

Quote Of The Day :

“A stock dividend is something tangible — it’s not an earnings projection; it’s something solid, in hand. A stock dividend is a true return on the investment. Everything else is hope and speculation.”

–Richard Russell

Append below dividend detail for 1^st Qtr 2017 and summary chart:

< Dividend detail >