Bert’s January Dividend Income Summary

The calendar has turned and we are off to the races in 2018.  It has busy month and our busy season has been intense.  But that hasn’t stopped us from closely monitoring our portfolios and the excitement that is happening in the stock market.   We all finished December strong and as a community 39 of us were able to receive of $30,000 of dividend income.  It was a record-setting month for a lot of us, including myself.  And now that 2018 has started, it is time to keep the momentum going.  With one month down, I thought it would be as good as a time as ever to publish my first dividend income summary of 2018.  Time to check out my January dividend income summary!

dividend income

January Dividend income summary

In January, my wife and I received $139.02 in dividend income.   This was a 8.77% increase compared to last year!  Not a bad way to start 2018, eh?  The chart below contains a detailed listing of the companies that paid me (or not) a dividend during January.

This wasn’t too exciting of a month in terms of dividend income received.   In fact, I did not receive any dividends from new companies.  That being said, I managed to add to two of my positions in the last month that caused the dividends received from those companies to increase dramatically.  I took advantage of CAH’s slump in 2017 and lowered the cost basis in my investment and I was able to add to my position in CM when the metrics were just right.  Now I am a huge fan of the larger positions that are producing solid dividend income payments.  The one “negative” during the month is that the newly merged DWDP changed the month they pay their dividend after consolidating the companies.  Oh well, it is just a timing difference. So I will receive a nice benefit in the comings months!

January portfolio news and dividend increases

This month, I wanted to try something new.  I created two charts to provide you all with the major updates/happenings of my portfolio during January.  The first table will show the dividend increases I received in January and the second will summarize changes in my portfolio, including buys, sells, 401k, and HSA contributions.  January was a great month for dividend increases, so I cannot wait to share with you the impact the announcements had on my forward dividend income!

I received 5 dividend increases in January and as I mentioned in my last post, January was just an INSANE month for dividend increases.   In fact, I was only expecting to receive one dividend increase during the month (ED).  The other four were surprises and Lanny and I had some pretty darn exciting phone calls sharing the news with each other.  I received a lot of texts saying “Call me ASAP” with exclamation marks.  Yes, it was that important to find out that NSC increased their dividend for the first time in several years.

The chart above shows the power of dividend investing and the impact that dividend increases have on your forward dividend income.  I did nothing to earn an additional $39.86 in annual dividend income.  I didn’t lift a finger.   Of the five increases, two of them were pretty large and were well over 10%.  Again, I’m STILL shocked that NSC announced an 18.3% increase.  This also has me very optimistic about the prospect of receiving other dividend increases in 2018.  January was a crazy month, so I cannot wait to see what the other 11 months have in store for all of us in the community.

 

The first table showed how I was able to add almost $40 to my forward income by dividend increases alone.  This table, on the other hand, shows the additional dividend income I have received from purchases and contributions to my retirement plans.  This month, I was able to add $123.89 in dividend income from my two purchases of Realty Income and 401k/HSA contributions.

I recently wrote about how my wife and I are maximizing our 401k contributions in the coming year.  This is the first month where my increased 401k contributions were received and as you can see, it added a TON of forward income to my portfolio.  My wife is starting a new job in the coming weeks, so I plan on adjusting her contributions as well once her new plan kicks in.   But as you can see, the impact of this strategy is already showing strong results.   I cannot wait to see the impact this has over the rest of the year and the large dividends/distributions I expect to receive from my Vanguard funds each quarter.  We also received our employer’s contribution to our HSA, which contributed to a larger than usual contribution.

What’s crazy, in total,  my dividend income increased  $163.75 this month from these purchases, dividend increases, and contributions.  Now that is what I am talking

Summary

All and all, I don’t think I could not have asked for a better start to the year.  I posted solid results compared to last year and I added a healthy chunk to my forward dividend income.  Hopefully this is setting me up for a strong 2018 and the dividend increases continue for the remainder of 2018.  Now, more than ever, I’m going to side hustle and do whatever I can to earn every extra dollar so I can continue to invest and push my dividend income forward.

How did you perform this month?  What was your growth rate compared to last year?  Did you buy any stocks?  If so, how much did you add to your forward income?

Bert

49 thoughts on “Bert’s January Dividend Income Summary

  1. Good work Bert, Regarding DWDP, I believe it’s not just a timing issue as a fellow owner, but the dividend after the merger from the combined company is smaller than the dividend of DOW. A back door dividend reduction if I am interpreting it right. The hair on the back of my neck is standing up now. I would like to sell and put the money in a higher yielding stock with better growth potential. However, I have a large capital gain (silver lining I guess) that I do not want to incur. Are you holding for the long term with DWDP? Tom

    • SD,

      Thank you very much and I”m glad you enjoy the table 🙂 It is probably going to be a staple going forward. My portfolio is definitely picking up some steam, even with the recent pullback we have experienced. Despite the decrease in market value, my dividend income continues to grow at a steady rate. What isn’t to like about that??

      Bert

    • Gremlin,

      Thank you very much! You hit my favorite point on the head. It is a great sign to me that companies are still announcing strong increases despite the pullback in price. I would be much more concerned if companies clawed back their dividend income. This is a great market to be a buyer in.

      Bert

  2. Hey Bert,

    congrats! 139$ is a rock solid number for an “off” month to start into 2018! – my dividend income for Jan was 163$ – we play in the same “ballpark” ;-).

    https://dividendsolutions.wordpress.com/2018/02/03/dividend-income-jan-2018/

    I like your recent purchases a lot. Realty has been beaten down and no mistake to add shares. Do you plan to add more after the flash crash? I was a little surprised and stayed at the sidelines. My normal regular purchases per month will continue, but i think i’ll wait with using some of my cash reserve. More dips to come in my opinion…

    Keep it up!
    DividendSolutions

    • Dividend Solutions,

      Looks like we are neck and neck and you got the best of me here in January. Let’s see who comes out on top here in February! I will continue to add to Realty if they fall and there are no other great buying opportunities. Right now, I still love their fundamentals and their dividend. I haven’t written my article yet, but I may have purchased them a third time here in the quarter 🙂 Do you have a few companies in mind that would cause you to jump into your cash reserve if prices continue to fall?

      Bert

  3. Great way to start out the year indeed. Always love seeing unexpected dividend increases or increases that are higher than expected. That is the power of dividend growth investing. Keep the rest of the year going strong!

    • Daze,

      Thank you very much. These last two months have been filled with surprises and joy. Nothing is better than having a bad day at work, only to open google finance and see that your holding surprised you with a dividend increase. It helps for sure.

      Bert

  4. Hi Bert. Nice dividend income and increases. I had good news from INTC which was abowe my expectatios 🙂 Love the growth that companies produce. And dividends are not the most important component. Its earnings growth.

  5. Nice start of the year Bert! I’m liking CAH more and more, and I glad I kept adding on dips last year.

    My January income came to almost $300 for the month of January.

    Here’s to a great January.. and 2018!

    Tall Investing

    • Tall Investing,

      Should I expect to read a purchase article about CAH here soon?? It is a great company and is one of my larger holdings. If I weren’t content with my position, it would definitely be towards the top of my listing. Looking forward to stopping by and seeing how you performed in January as well.

      Bert

  6. Starting 2018 with a year over year gain is positive even if you weren’t too excited about the overall total. With new buys, dividend increases, etc. no doubt coming your way, 2018 should exceed 2017. Keep at it!!!!

    • DivHut,

      Now that’s how you get me pumped up! I appreciate the support. You’re right, 2018 is going to be a great year and this downturn has allowed me, and so many others, a great chance to build up positions that will pay dividends for four quarters this year and many years going forward.

      Bert

    • MDD,

      Thank you very much. I cannot wait till I have at least $200 each month. Each milestone makes it that much more addicting and drives me to keep pushing forward. Congrats on receiving the increases as well. Cheers!

      Bert

    • Thank you Geek! That table was actually showing the investments I made during the month and how much it added to my forward income. Since it is a 401k contribution for me, I will make two purchases each month and it will continue to appear in each article. I wish it did pay a strong monthly dividend each month, how cool would that be??

      Bert

  7. January was a slow month for me, but congrats on the nearly double digit increase from last year. I like the break down in the two separate tables, and you’re right, it’s always nice to earn money without having to lift a finger!

  8. Great to feel some dividend Joy in January! (I can only imagine…)

    Nice consistent dividend increases across the board too – surely a sign you’ve selected some excellent dividend stocks 🙂

    • Frankie,

      You’ll get there soon. IT is just a matter of time until you pick up one of these awesome stocks that pay in the first month of each quarter. Just wait, it is crazy how fast it starts to pick up once you get going.

      Bert

  9. Well I have no comparison yet to last year but was able to add euro 8.92 so thats about my average of my first year as a DGI. Like so many of us in the community I added (actueally doubled) my position in ) with 13 shares. So thats a major buy for me this month.

  10. Looks like a solid start to the year Bert. Over $139 with nearly a 9% year over year increase is pretty good. I was very surprised by the dividend increases that came through in January. I was expecting about 4 and ended up with 8. And at least 2 of those increases came on the heels of recent dividend increase announcements during 4Q from those 2 companies. Those 8 raises in my FI Portfolio added nearly $80 to our forward 12-month dividends and like you said the best part is that we didn’t have to do anything for that. I own a small position in NSC in my Roth IRA so that was a nice increase to see and they’re up to a 2 year streak on their way back to Dividend Challenger status. All the best in February.

    • JC,

      Thank you very much. I was shocked too how many companies announced an increase in the fourth quarter and announced ANOTHER on in January. Like you, it caught me off guard. $80 is a huge chunk of change to add to your income without doing a darn thing. NSC is “chugging” their way towards a Challenger position. Okay, I couldn’t resist adding that really bad joke.

      Bert

  11. Good job great start to the year. Almost 40.00 in dividend increases that is what it is about. If you do that every month will be quit a bit at the end of the month. One company I was expecting an increase from didn’t sucks but I’m gonna see what it does. Bought 18 shares of O this month got it under 50 so definatly got a good deal. Looks like you added some good income also. Keep it up.

    • Doug,

      Thank you so much. Adding $40 per month would be insane and you’re right, that owuld be an awesome year indeed. What was the company that you were expecting to increase their dividend? Glad you jumped on the O train as well. I was too eager and didn’t wait until it was under $50 for some of my purchase…oh well. I’m just happy that the shares will re-invest at a lower price for hopefully a few months.

      Bert

  12. Hi Bert. The big story in January was the dividend raises. So many! It’s amazing the impact they have on adding to the forward dividend income. Nice start to the year for you. My YoY growth was a shade under 7%, so not too far off from yours. I like the new “Added Income” column. I started something similar this month as well.

    • ED,

      It was a such a great story and it was one that seemed to get more exciting with each day and subsequent dividend increase. Looks like you were in line with me and I’m very excited to stop by and see how much income you added this month. See you over at your website soon!

      Bert

    • DI,

      Thank you very much! 3M’s increase was insane, just like NSC’s. The best part was that I was not expecting either. And don’t worry, there will be a day when you are smiling with each increase that is announced 🙂

      Bert

    • Thanks Matthew! I appreciate it. I’m excited for all of us here in 2018 as it looks like this is going to be an exciting year in terms of dividend increases and purchases if the market continues on its current path.

      Bert

  13. Bert, I like the income added chart! I’m glad to be a fellow shareholder of VINIX. It seems to be the best fund with lowest fee available in my 403b. I also never even thought about keeping track of my added income to this account since everything is automatic. Great start to 2018!

    • Thanks Money Hungry! I appreciate the feedback. VINIX is an amazing index fund to hold. The fees are very low. You better start keeping track though, that’s a nice chunk of change each paycheck that you are adding to your forward income. Your added income charts are going to be just awesome!

      Bert

  14. Hey not bad Bert!
    I was close to you in terms of dividend income in January.
    It is my worst month in terms of dividend income so I’m looking forward to the rest of the year.

    Best of luck! Keep up the great work!

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