One reason, why many people don’t even step into the world of complex investments is lack of understanding, and the other is that they are satisfied with their savings and feel secure with liquid cash. Usually, investments are considered riskier than savings, so people with conservative mentality stay out of investing businesses. I can’t say that such people lack investment oversight, rather they simply do what they are comfortable doing. The reason I decided to write this post is to introduce the concept of income investing to all those who don’t feel comfortable putting aside a sizable chuck of their hard earned money and then waiting years for a decent return. Income investing is most suited for people who overdo on savings front and completely ignore investing as a vehicle to improve financial stability.
Even if you have a good secure job and have accumulated decent amount of wealth in form of savings, you should think of creating income diversity, as income from different streams is always safer than relying on one source. I bet your conservative mentality won’t be offended by the idea of creating multiple streams of income, when all you have to do is invest regularly just the way you have been saving so far.
Income investing is no brainer; it simply means investing for creating regular streams of income. All you do is build an investment portfolio that generates regular returns, unlike fixed term deposits that only pay on maturity. The best part is that you can utilize these returns just like your regular salary, spend it on groceries, plan vacations, pay bills and do everything that is a part of your everyday life. Now you must be concerned about the risks as after all it’s a way to invest, and all investments, no-matter what, are subject to market related risks. Well, the risk factor is obviously there, but it’s all in your hands as of how much risk you are willing to take. It’s the choice of instruments that you choose to develop income streams that will determine the severity of risk.
You should keep your greed under control by understanding that its not the size of returns that matters, but you should be focused on developing streams of income that have the potential to deliver consistent returns in the long term.
The main idea behind income investing is to create alternative sources of income and protect yourself against any bad phases in your professional career.
You should always stick to your prime objective of creating stable income stream as the world of investments can tempt you into a completely different game of gambling with your luck. You might see unbelievable returns on your investments but that should not make you stumble on your core strategy. Well, you can consider these two type of investments to create an income generating portfolio.
There are a whole host of companies that have a history of paying regular dividends, but you should invest in businesses that you can understand. Dividends are the share of profit that is shared with investors on regular basis. While investing in dividend stocks for long term, you should not pay heed to short term volatility, and never take the risk of investing money that you might need in near future. You should prefer to diversify stock investments in well diversified businesses as that will ensure extra stability even in volatile times.
You may consider these five including these high dividend yielding stocks to your income investing portfolio.
Bonds are less volatile in nature and generate regular interest income; you can include different type of bonds such as corporate bonds, Treasuries, and municipal bond in your income investment portfolio.
You may also read my post on bond laddering strategy for creating stable cash flows:-
Ending Note:-
Income investing is the ideal way to diversify income and as the money continues to flow in regularly, you can even consider reinvesting the cash and build a solid portfolio for your retirement. Income investing is advisable for retirees who have a large chunk of money to invest. Even beginners can start building such a portfolio through systematic investing but they must remember that it takes years to generate considerable income stream unless you invest big sums initially.
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29 February 2012
Income Investing is an ideal way to attain financial security. Such investments show their real color in times of dire need. Just imagine, if the economy once again turns for the worst and unemployment rate shoots up dramatically. Are you prepared?