Q3 2022 Review / Q4 2022 Preview

Time Change Gremlin here to chat about financial progress this past quarter. Summer is over, kids are back to/ starting their annual routine. Football has started, of which I have watched no games. Iran is looking like its headed for a revolution. Russia looks like its driving towards a cliff. And the Earth is basically dangling butt a foot (1/3 of a meter for you non-Americans out there) above a bonfire, seeing if it can't win that $20 game of chicken is has running with Venus. The one thing that is certain is that very little seems to be certain these days. However, if you look close enough you will see patterns and normalcy. The best pattern I've found are dividends, which keep right on rolling. 

With that, lets see how this quarter went. For starters it went better, and my wife has picked up some part time work that adds to our financial security, so already a win before I look at the numbers.

Q3 2022:

Over the last quarter I added shares of my employer, Scotia Bank (BNS), Lakeland Bancorp (LBAI), and Leggett and Platt (LEG), in my taxable account. On top of that I initiated new positions of Avnet (AVT), Interpublic Group (IPG), and Verizon (VZ) in my taxable account.

I added to Cisco (CSCO), Discover Financial (DFS), LEG, Matthews International (MATW), Ames National Corp (ATLO), and Essential Utilities (WTRG) in my retirement accounts. In addition, I initiated a position in IPG in my Roth and converted my Portland General Electric (POR) shares from my IRA to my Roth. Thus far this year I have converted all of my POR, all of my Omega Healthcare (OHI), and the remaining 3M (MMM) shares to my Roth.

Last quarter I brought in a total of $1,340.19 in dividends ($698.64 taxable, $385.01 Roth, and $256.54 in my IRA). In total my accounts beat their respective 2021 months by -7.25% for July, 9.67% for August, and 10.7% for September. The July decline is due to T. Rowe Price (TROW)'s special dividend last summer. 

In terms of dividend increases, I realized 18 raises from Bank of Montreal (BMO), BNS, CIBC (CM), Hershey's (HSY), Kroger (KR), LEG, Medtronic (MDT), Morgan Stanley (MS), National Retail Properties (NNN), Realty Income (O), POR, Royal Bank of Canada (RY), Target (TGT), John Deere (DE), Smucker's (SJM), Walgreens (WBA), Westlake Chemical (WLK), and WTRG. The increases range from just about 0.2% to more than 24%. This brings my total raises to 58 on the year.

Next quarter I will realize at least 8 dividend increases from Microsoft (MSFT), O, Starbucks (SBUX), VZ, First of Long Island (FLIC), and Emerson Electric. The increases range from 0.2% to around 10%.

I added minimal profits from selling a few covered calls. Two of my speculative positions will join the portfolio as dividend payers next year. I have been a happy owner, and will unveil those then.

NOTE: I only count increases when realized, because until that money is delivered any statements or declarations are simply conjecture.

Q4 2022:

The mortgage continues and I am putting extra cash towards the principal monthly - not a huge number, but every little bit counts. Our debts currently outstrip our assets, since I do not count my home as an asset until I own it outright.

The buys shall continue until financial independence improves - with monthly rolling buys of course.

My portfolio page is currently up to date.

I sincerely hope everyone's summer 2022 is as good as can be.

- Dividend Gremlin
- Long all stock tickers mentioned
- Victory for Ukraine