Income Investing
Qualified Dividends vs. Ordinary Dividends
Qualified Dividends vs. Ordinary Dividends
What are qualified dividends, and how do they differ from ordinary dividends? Here's how to determine which is which, and what that means for you.
September 16, 2020
Bonds Are Safer Than They Look
Bonds Are Safer Than They Look
Yes, there’s plenty of bad news: credit downgrades, bond defaults and dividend cuts. The solution is to find workarounds.
August 27, 2020
Pockets of Opportunity Still Lurk in Bonds
Pockets of Opportunity Still Lurk in Bonds
A rash of corporate debt downgrades lies ahead, but actual defaults will remain low. So, is the worst over?
June 4, 2020
Treasuries: America’s Best Product?
Treasuries: America’s Best Product?
Whatever you think about politics or politicians, in tough times investors will do well to bet on the government.
May 8, 2020
Stay Calm Amid Bond Market Chaos
Stay Calm Amid Bond Market Chaos
The risk is that you’ll lock your money in a low-yield prison just in time for normalcy to return to the financial markets.
April 3, 2020
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Beware the Roaring Twenties
Beware the Roaring Twenties
For the first time in years, valuations -- not black swans or politics or the Fed -- are a challenge.
January 30, 2020
Taxable Munis? They’re Worth a Look
Taxable Munis? They’re Worth a Look
Sound describes the credit quality. But it doesn’t do justice to the stellar performance.
January 2, 2020
Stand By Your Bonds
Stand By Your Bonds
I’d be scared if I thought that interest rates would shoot up across the board and that the creditworthiness of borrowers is wilting. But I just don’t…
November 27, 2019
Go Ahead, Reach for Yield
Go Ahead, Reach for Yield
The best bets are in arcane areas such as commercial mortgage-backed securities, nonbank business lending and structured credit.
November 1, 2019
The Never-Ending Hunt for Yield
The Never-Ending Hunt for Yield
The prospects are good for corporate bonds, real estate investment trusts and utilities.
October 3, 2019
Municipals Rock On
Municipals Rock On
If there’s something negative to be said about muni bonds, I’ve heard it. And I’m still not buying this fear and loathing.
August 1, 2019
My All-Time Favorite Bond Funds
My All-Time Favorite Bond Funds
Few stock-fund managers match the S&P 500, but most fixed-income managers beat their index.
July 3, 2019
2019 Midyear Outlook for Income Investing
2019 Midyear Outlook for Income Investing
Between now and year-end, you can expect all to be quiet on the income front.
June 5, 2019
My Preference for Preferred Stocks
My Preference for Preferred Stocks
Preferred stocks are having a great year. Here are six investments to buy into the category.
May 9, 2019
High-Yield Investments That Are Worth the Risk
High-Yield Investments That Are Worth the Risk
Many of these debt or stock offerings have returned more than 10% so far in 2019.
April 4, 2019
Dial Down Risk in Your Bond Portfolio
Dial Down Risk in Your Bond Portfolio
Rising interest rates are no longer the primary concern for income investors, but other factors must still be considered threats against bonds.
March 7, 2019
Buy These Free-Range Bond Funds
Buy These Free-Range Bond Funds
There’s more to bond investing than picking funds that adhere closely to an index or cling to the apparent safety of Treasuries.
January 31, 2019
The Rising Risk in Corporate Bonds
The Rising Risk in Corporate Bonds
The BBB-rated debt tier is increasingly populated by iconic but risky outfits you might not want to finance now.
January 3, 2019
Stand By Your Bonds in 2019
Stand By Your Bonds in 2019
“Income Investing” columnist Jeffrey R. Kosnett predicts that a diversified portfolio of bonds will hold steady through the upcoming year.
November 29, 2018
5 Fabulous Income Investments
5 Fabulous Income Investments
Nothing that has happened this year or that looms over 2019 should threaten these elites.
November 1, 2018
The Case for Keeping Some Cash
The Case for Keeping Some Cash
For the first time in years, cash accounts are competitive with yields on many classes of bonds and blue-chip stocks.
October 4, 2018
The Case for Doing Absolutely Nothing in Today's Market
The Case for Doing Absolutely Nothing in Today's Market
In 2018’s topsy-turvy market there’s still one constant to stand by: dividend growth.
August 2, 2018
Variable-Rate Investments Can Buoy Your Portfolio
Variable-Rate Investments Can Buoy Your Portfolio
Bank-loan funds and ETFs aren't the only interest-paying securities whose distributions vary with interest rates.
July 5, 2018
Mid-Year Outlook for Bonds
Mid-Year Outlook for Bonds
You can expect mild losses in the bond market, but fixed income still has its place in your portfolio.
June 7, 2018
Steady Income from Volatile Sources
Steady Income from Volatile Sources
Sudden sell-offs can be scary, but the income side of income investing delivers reliably.
May 10, 2018