As we all deal with continued market volatility, inflation, and other economic headwinds, qualified dividends can be a great strategy for your portfolio. This is the second in a two-part series discussing possible dividend strategies. So, what are the main benefits we can expect from qualified dividends?
There are three things you should consider when adding qualified dividends to your portfolio. First, they can be a major contributor to total return. Second, you need to carefully vet the quality. And third, they can have very beneficial tax treatment. There are many types of dividend-paying stocks, but there are two that are particularly timely: bank preferred shares, and oil and gas exploration and production.
Last week, we discussed Oil and Gas E & P, and we know from the number of calls we received, that many people were interested. This week, we’ll talk more about bank preferreds.
These are particularly timely as a strategy because many banks are flush with cash as a result of the stringent regulations after the financial crisis of 2008. These are currently attractively priced, and let you lock in your yield for at least 5 years – but possibly much longer. That doesn’t mean your money is tied up though because they can be sold any time.
And preferred shares typically decline in price as interest rates rise, so substantial discounts are already available. When you purchase at a discount to par, your total return can be very attractive.
It’s extremely unlikely that your shares will be called until prevailing rates declined enough that the banks can refinance or reissue these at lower yields. There’s also an opportunity for capital gains when and if they are called, since they’re always called at par, which is $25.
So that brings us to our final point about capital gains. Whether you use the two strategies we’ve discussed here, or any other dividend strategy, one of the benefits is the beneficial tax treatment.
Qualified dividends are taxed at your long-term capital gains rate – between 0-20%, depending on your tax bracket. In most cases, this is significantly less than your personal income level. This is one of the reasons that this can be a great strategy for higher income and higher net-worth investors
If you have questions about your dividend strategy, or just want a second opinion on your portfolio, give us a call, we’re here to help!
Dividend yield investing may not be suitable for all investors. Higher dividends are not indicative of the quality of an investment. As dividend yields may not be sustainable, income investors must be sure to analyze an investment carefully and their ability to sustain market fluctuations. Investments paying dividends do not carry lower risk. Dividend payments are not guaranteed by the issuing entity. The issuer can discontinue the dividend at any time.