Q4 2023 Review / 2024 Preview

Gremlin here to discuss 2023. Its been a long year, and in the interest of everyone's time I will keep this intro short to a few highlights. First I have a new 'job', same company and I like it a lot. It does however take up more time, of which is already limited and some is going to be used on some extra education. Between that and everything else, I'll be dialing back down to 2 posts a year - semiannual updates. So on that front see you in July. 

Q4 2023:

Over the last quarter I added shares of my employer, Ames National (ATLO), Black Hills Corp (BKH), Bank OZK (OZK), Townebank (TOWN), and New Jersey Resources (NJR)  in my taxable account. I also added to Arrow Finanical (AROW), Interpublic Group (IPG), Flowers Foods (FLO), Realty Income, and ATLO in my retirement accounts. I also sold EMR in my retirement account. Their recent history of raises was not cutting it and I diversified the money out.

Last quarter I brought in a total of $1,549.46 in dividends ($810.22 taxable, $495.87 Roth, and $243.37 in my IRA).  In closing 2023, the dividend count was 18% higher than last year. 

In terms of dividend increases, I realized 12 raises from Leggett and Platt (LEG), McDonald's (MCD), Microsoft (MSFT), MSC Industrial Direct (MSM), Realty Income (O), Starbucks (SBUX), VZ, Broadcom (AVGO), John Deere (DE), Matthews International (MATW), and Exxon Mobile (XOM). The increases range from 0.2% to around 15% This brings my total raises to 66 on the year, 8 less than last year's final total.

Next half I will realize 14 dividend increases from Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Amgen (AMGN), Scotia Bank (BNS), CIBC (CM), DE, Eastman Chemical (EMN), Norwood Financial (NWFL), O, OZK, Royal Bank of Canada (RY), Toronto Dominion Bank (TD), Waste Management (WM), Abbott Labs (ABT), and CVS. The increases range from 0.2% to around 10%.

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

1st half 2024:
 

The usual mortgage and other debts continue, and house maintenance, which is always a bummer. That said, I am finally in the positive net worth and its super nice.

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

My portfolio page is currently up to date.

2023:

• Invest a total of $9000 across all accounts. Challenge met.
  
• Receive $3800 in taxable dividends. Missed, had 3500.
  
• Get in slightly better shape, eat better - so lose a few lbs, workout weekly, and more salads.  I'll call this a tie.

2024:

I only have a few goals for next year, but here they are:

• Invest a total of $9000 across all accounts.
• Receive $4000 in taxable dividends.
• Get back to 2020 shape (not college shape but much closer to it than now).
  

I sincerely hope everyone has a great 2024.

Hope everyone has a great January, a better 2024, and a Happy New Year!
- Dividend Gremlin
- Long all stock tickers mentioned

Q2 2023 Review / Q3 2023 Preview

Phone it in Gremlin here to welcome you all to another quarterly review. I was thinking of writing something fun, but its been a long 3 months, so lets skip that mostly. Suffice it to say my job has switched things up lately for the better, but the side effect has been more things to do - not that there's a compliant. Anyways, lets see how the fund stowage is going shall we?

Q2 2023:

Over the last quarter I added shares of my employer, Avnet (AVT), Ames National Corp (ATLO), Interpublic Group (IPG), National Retail Properties (NNN), Bank OZK (OZK), and Union Pacific (UNP) in my taxable account.

I also added to IPG, Arrow Financial (AROW), Leggett and Platt (LEG), and ATLO. In addition, moved my First National of Long Island (FLIC) shares in my IRA to my Roth.

Last quarter I brought in a total of $1,781.55 in dividends ($1115.81 taxable, $470.92 Roth, and $194.82 in my IRA).  In total my accounts beat their respective 2021 months by 146% for January, 14% for February, and 15% for March. 

In terms of dividend increases, I realized 15 raises from American Express (AXP), Cisco (CSCO), General Dynamics (GD), Pepsi (PEP), WalMart (WMT), Realty Income (O), John Deere (DE), Kimberly Clark (KMB), Apple (AAPL), Evercore (EVR), Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), Raytheon (RTX), Sonoco (SON), Ameriprise Financial (AMP), and Discover Financial (DFS). The increases range from just about .02% to more than 15%. This brings my total raises to 38 on the year.

Next quarter I will realize at least 11 dividend increases from Bank of Montreal (BMO), Scotia Bank (BNS), Cardinal Health (CAH), Canadian Imperial Bank (CM), Kroger (KR), LEG, O, Royal Bank of Canada (RY), Target (TGT), Unilever (UL), and Portland General Electric (POR). The increases range from 0.2% to around 12%.

In addition, I added about $30 in profits from options (covered call selling).

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

Q3 2023:

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. Side note here, our total assets not including our house basically have equalized the total debt (if we count the house that's positive net worth, which is nice).

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

My portfolio page is currently up to date.

Stay cool this summer, its like a million degrees outside and humid.

- Dividend Gremlin
- Long all stock tickers mentioned

Q1 2023 Review / Q2 2023 Preview

Allergies Come Early Gremlin here to welcome you all to another quarterly review. I hope its just me, but probably not - the pollen in the air this year feels like its at an all time high, even with the new air filters I keep putting in our HVAC system. Spring is here, the world is turning faster in some parts and slower than others. My oldest kid will start kindergarten this year, I am a coach of little kids soccer, which is everything you think it is. Anyways, I could blabber on about how excited the little things like sleeping in past 7:30AM make me feel, but lets just cut to the dividend chase. The market is wild, there are great buys everywhere, and for once I have some change to unleash.

Q1 2023:

Over the last quarter I added shares of my employer, Avnet (AVT), Scotia Bank (BNS), Eastman Chemical (EMN), Gerdau (GGB) via stock dividend, Interpublic Group (IPG), Leggett and Platt (LEG), Medtronic (MDT), National Retail Properties, Realty Income (O), Bank OZK (OZK), Verizon (VZ), and ZIM Integrated Shipping (ZIM) in my taxable account. Unfortunately, I closed my VF Corp position after it announced a dividend cut, and I had my South Jersey Industries (SJI) position bought away and taken private.

I also added to IPG, Kinder Morgan (KMI), LEG, AT&T (T), and Ames National Corp Com (ATLO) in my retirement accounts. In addition, moved my VZ shares in my IRA to my Roth.

Last quarter I brought in a total of $1,439.75 in dividends ($749.01 taxable, $459.52 Roth, and $231.22 in my IRA).  In total my accounts beat their respective 2021 months by 10% for January, 12% for February, and 12% for March. 

In terms of dividend increases, I realized 23 raises from Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Amgen (AMGN), My Employer (B**), CIBC (CM), Canadian National (CNI), EMN, Eaton Corp (ETN), IPG, 3M (MMM), Norwood Financial (NWFL), O [2x], Royal Bank of Canada (RY), Toronto Dominion Bank (TD), Waste Management (WM), Union Pacific (UNP), Abbott Labs (ABT), Yum Brand (YUM), CVS, Deere (DE), Corning Inc (GLW), Prudential (PRU), and T Rowe Financial (TROW). The increases range from just about .02% to more than 10%. This brings my total raises to 23 on the year.

Next quarter I will realize at least 8 dividend increases from American Express (AXP), Cisco (CSCO), General Dynamics (GD), Pepsi (PEP), WalMart (WMT), O, DE, and Kimberly Clark (KMB).  The increases range from 0.2% to around 8%.

In addition, I added about $50 in profits from options.

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

Q2 2023:

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 2023 has started in the best way possible, despite all of the crazy.

- Dividend Gremlin
- Long all stock tickers mentioned

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

Q2 2022 Review / Q3 2022 Preview

 

Summer Gremlin here to talk about the second half of the first half of the year. This year, and indeed this decade, is one that continues to get weirder and weirder for mostly all the wrong reasons. Its not even worth delving into the world considering any crystal ball predictions out there are probably wrong or so right that they're still wrong. So lets examine how my dividend growth adventure is going. The summary is below, but suffice it to say things are still headed in the right direction despite all of life's challenges.

Q2 2022:

Over the last quarter I added shares of my employer, Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), Lakeland Bancorp (LBAI), and YUM, in my taxable account. I also added to Cisco (CSCO), Corning (GLW), JM Smucker (SJM), Ames National Corp (ATLO), and Essential Utilities (WTRG) in my retirement accounts.

Last quarter I brought in a total of $1,266.97 in dividends ($660.36 taxable, $379.99 Roth, and $229.62 in my IRA).  In total my accounts beat their respective 2021 months by 0.24% for April, 7.4% for May, and 12.1% for June. 

In terms of dividend increases, I realized 17 raises from Apple (AAPL), American Express (AXP), CSCO, Evercore (EVR), General Dynamics (GD), JNJ, Coca Cola (KO), Realty Income (O), Pepsi (PEP), Raytheon (RTX), Sonoco (SON), WalMart (WMT), Ameriprise Financial (AMP), Corning Inc (GLW), Discover Financial (DFS), Kinder Morgan (KMI), and Kimberly Clark (KMB). The increases range from just about .02% to more than 10%. This brings my total raises to 40 on the year. In addition, my holding of CIBC (CM) had a 2 for 1 split.

Next quarter I will realize at least 8 dividend increases from Bank of Montreal (BMO), Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS), CM, Kroger (KR), Medtronic (MDT), Royal Bank of Canada (RY), Target (TGT), and John Deere (DE).  The increases range from 3% to around 24%.

In addition, I added about $150 in profits from options and speculation trading

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

Q3 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

Q1 2022 Review / Q2 2022 Preview

New Year Gremlin here to welcome you all to another monthly review. History is one of my favorite subjects; it was back and school and still is a place where I find the most interesting stories, wildest characters, and craziest twists. I feel the Russian invasion of Ukraine is one of those stories told in modern time. It, following on the heels of Covid and the general issues of our time, has amplified them all like many smaller waves meeting in the ocean to create a giant one. It is also something I never believed I would see in my life; a traditional invasion of one nation by another where one side has nuclear weapons, a single ruler with no succession plan, and plans to ultimately incorporate part of all of the invaded nation into their own. Now yes, plenty of wars have happened including invasions - but none of those were ever planned to be permanent regardless of duration.

The stock market does not exist in a bubble, life in general affects it. As an investor I always look for the best deals available, and now is no different. That said, Ukraine is something different that could create challenges to companies that we've never seen. Not just to companies, but also to the world. I knew when that war started that Ukraine would not just fold, and that Russia has a terrible history of offensive wars. 

I hope for everyone's sake this ends as cleanly as possible. I just don't think it will, and I believe the long arc of history will bend its weight unto Russia as it grapples with being the multinational empire it truly is.

Q1 2022:

Over the last quarter I added shares of my employer and Starbucks (SBUX), in my taxable account. I also added to Cisco (CSCO), Corning (GLW), and Portland General Electric (POR) in my retirement accounts. In addition, I have added a new position to my taxable and have begun building a position in my IRA in Ames National Corp Com (ATLO).

Last quarter I brought in a total of $1,318.99 in dividends ($678.94 taxable, $362.44 Roth, and $277.61 in my IRA).  In total my accounts beat their respective 2021 months by 30.7% for January, 6.39% for February, and 16.1% for March. 

In terms of dividend increases, I realized 23 raises from Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Amgen (AMGN), Bank of Montreal (BMO), Scotiabank (BNS), My Employer (B**), CIBC (CM), Canadian National (CNI), Eastman Chemical (EMN), Eaton Corp (ETN), 3M (MMM), Norwood Financial (NWFL), Realty Income (O), Royal Bank of Canada (RY), Toronto Dominion Bank (TD), Waste Management (WM), Union Pacific (UNP), Arrow Financial (AROW), Abbott Labs (ABT), CVS, Yum Brand (YUM), GLW, Prudential (PRU), and T Rowe Financial (TROW). The increases range from just about .02% to more than 25%. This brings my total raises to 23 on the year.

Next quarter I will realize at least 6 dividend increases from American Express (AXP), CSCO, Pepsi (PEP), WalMart (WMT), O, and Kimberly Clark (KMB).  The increases range from 0.2% to around 9%.

In addition, I added about $230 in profits from options and speculation trading.

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

Q2 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 2022 has started in the best way possible, despite all of the crazy.

- Dividend Gremlin
- Long all stock tickers mentioned

Q4 2021 Review / Q1 2022 Preview

Sleepy Gremlin here to screen a preview into the next year and quarter. 2021 was a weird year. I like history a lot, and I believe the 2020-2022 years will go down as some of the weirdest and or most influential in a long time. Simply a neutral perspective, big events lead to big consequences. Bigger events in the USA probably haven't been seen since 9/11 or the end of the USSR. However, I digress.

The market has mirrored this year, it makes sense, then it doesn't. The future is here, except its not or its not making any money at all. Dividends are launching into space, so are stocks of companies that maybe have seen better days. It is a great reminder of how unpredictable the market and world can be, and how steady these dividend churners are. So lets look at Q4 from a dividend perspective. 

Q4 2021:

Over the last quarter I added shares of my employer, Pepsico (PEP), and Starbucks (SBUX) in my taxable account. I also added to Cisco (CSCO), Corning (GLW), Kraft Heinz (KHC), and Portland General Electric (POR) in my retirement accounts.

Last quarter I brought in a total of $1,243.54 in dividends ($610.54 taxable, $324.32 Roth, and $308.68 in my IRA).  In closing 2021, the dividend count was 5.26% higher than last year. 

In terms of dividend increases, I realized 15 raises from Black Hills Corp (BKH), McDonald's (MCD), Microsoft (MSFR), Realty Income (O) x2, SBUX, South Jersey Industries (SJI), Union Pacific (UNP), VF Corp (VFC), Broadcom (AVGO), Deere (DE), Matthew's International (MATW), Exxon Mobil (XOM), Emerson Electric (EMR), and Verizon (VZ). The increases range from just about 1% to more than 15%. This brings my total raises to 61 on the year, 11 less than last year's final total.

Next quarter I will realize 17 dividend increases from Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Amgen (AMGN), Bank of Montreal (BMO), Scotiabank (BNS), My Employer (B**), CIBC (CM), Eastman Chemical (EMN), Norwood Financial (NWFL), O, Royal Bank of Canada (RY), Toronto Dominion Bank (TD), Waste Management (WM), Union Pacific (UNP), Arrow Financial (AROW), Abbott Labs (ABT), Kimberly Clark (KMB), and CVS.  The increases range from 0.2% to around 25%.

In addition, I added $1500 in profits from options and speculation trading.  I am decreasing my risk taking appetite heading into 2022. 2020 and 2021 were positive years, but I am committing only to a smaller speculation portion going forward until at least 2023 for a variety of personal reasons.

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

Q1 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.

2021:

• Invest a total of $11000 across all accounts. Made it 3/4 of the way, not mad just my reality.
  
• Receive $2200 in taxable dividends and $1500 in speculative cash. Success.
  
• Weight, get back to my regular weight (lose the Covid 15). Utter failure, try again dude.
  

Last year I ended with this phrase "I have a feeling, no matter what happens 2020 will be another wild ride." Holy crap, I did not realize how right I was.  Well hopefully 2021 is a little less wild.

2022:

I only have a few goals for next year, but here they are:

• Invest a total of $8000 across all accounts.
• Receive $2800 in taxable dividends .
• Weight, just lose a little of it.
  

I sincerely hope everyone has a better 2022 than 2021.  That said the it is always darkest just before the dawn and so go into 2021 as mentally, financially, and physically prepared as you can.

Hope everyone has a great January, a better 2021, and a Happy New Year!
- Dividend Gremlin
- Long all stock tickers mentioned

Q2 Review / Q3 Preview, 2021

 Big News Gremlin here to recap Q2 - Spring has Sprung. A lot of changes came last quarter - my daughter's 3rd open heart surgery was a major success, my investment accounts on the taxable side smashed through $100k in value, we traded in my car for a van (sad times), and oh we had our 3rd kid. He, and by that I mean #3, will be the last one. It was a nice surprise, he's healthy and growing already. Otherwise life is starting to get back to some sort of normal, but I will caveat that with a general observation that things are very different. Less stress about surgeries, some new stress about the baby, and an honest sinking feeling that the world (USA at least) thinks the pandemic is over when in reality I'd bet its at halftime. Having some experience in the environmental and biologic world, it just seems that way. Don't quote me, I'm not a doomsayer - rather just a pragmatist.

I keep adding to my positions - both dividend and my small speculation pool. I am hoping to really crush my annual totals by last year with a solid margin. Lets see how my dividend pool is working to achieve that.

Q2 2021:

Over the last quarter I added to Amgen (AMGN), American Express (AXP), my employer, Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), McDonald's (MCD), Medtronic (MDT), South Jersey Industries (SJI), Sonoco (SON), and VF Corp (VFC) in my taxable account. I also added to Arrow Financial Services (AROW) and isco (CSCO), and Portland General Electric (POR) in my retirement accounts.

No positions new were opened.

Last quarter I brought in a total of $1,165.55 in dividends ($602.78 taxable, $272.74 Roth, and $290.03 in my IRA).  The dividend count was 27% higher than last year. 

In terms of dividend increases, I realized 15 raises from Apple (AAPL), CSCO, Evercore (EVR), General Dynamics (GD), JNJ, Coca Cola (KO), Realty Income (O), Pepsico (PEP), Raytheon (RTX), Union Pacific (UNP), Walmart (WMT), Ameriprise Financial (AMP), Deere (DE), Kimberly Clark (KMB), and Kinder Morgan (KMI). The increases range from just about .2% to more than 18+%. This brings my total raises to 31 on the year.

Next quarter I already know that I will realize 7 dividend increases from Kroger (KR), Leggett and Platt (LEG), MDT, Morgan Stanley (MS), POR, TGT, and Essential Utilities (WTRG).  The increases range from 0.2% to 100%.

No additional profits from options and speculation trading 2021. I will probably just issue an end of year total as its a lot more work to add this up even quarterly, and I'm trying not to add extra work.

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

Q3 2021:

The mortgage continues,at its new lower rate and monthly payment, with extra cash towards the principal monthly. Our debts currently outstrip our assets, since I do not count my home as an asset until I own it outright. Also sadly I traded in my car for a new minivan. 3 kids in 3 car seats - even the smallest ones these days are huge.

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

My portfolio page is currently up to date.

Hope everyone has a safe summer!

- Dividend Gremlin
- Long all stock tickers mentioned

Q4 2020 Review / Q1 2021 Preview

Cold Brew Gremlin here. Wow.  What an end to a long and strange year. This 2020 has seen a pandemic (which will continue longer than people realize), an election, a massive stock market sell off, record stock market highs, the rise of news organization arguing over what actually happened, multiple international conflicts (Armenia-Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, the Ukraine, etc.), the rise of SPACs, a postponed Olympics, etc.  Its hard to remember a year that has had more events from which I have felt almost completely detached.  

On top of that there have been some amazing personal moments.  My daughter underwent and now has recovered from an 15 hour open heart surgery, which is definitely the biggest win for my family.  I promised to talk about that, so here is my quick soap box talk. My daughter has undergone two open heart surgeries at two different hospitals. The total cost from the hospitals, not including doctor costs, has been approximately $1.5 million.  If you were to include doctor costs it is easily 1.6 or 1.7.  Our total costs, annually, have been $8000 and $8300 in 2019 and 2020, respectively.  The remainder was picked up by insurance.

This is also not the end of her care; she will have her next surgery in early 2021 and none of the travel or external costs are represented.  Luckily my employer has a few plans to choose from. Since I knew we were having children I selected the most aggressive plan with the lowest out of pocket maximums.  I know a lot of personal finance sites eschew this in favor of cheaper plans or none at all, but if you have the choice pay it up front.  Specifically this applies to people who have medical issues in the USA or anyone having any kids (and definitely with any special issues like one with a heart problem).

Financial wise I have continued adding dividend positions, but I have also added options and speculation. The vast majority of our portfolio is still in dividend growth stocks (95%). Our net-worth has also increased this year, which is a bit nuts.  So many people have had lives destroyed this year, which is just awful - and that is a constant reminder to me.  As our net-worth improves I always try to give a little back. Though we are still only on one income until at least the fall of 2021, so the ship is a little being run tightly.

So lets look at Q4 from a dividend perspective. 

Q4 2020:

Over the last quarter I added to American Express (AXP), Black Hills Corp (BKH), Evercore (EVR), Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), National Retail (NNN), Pepsico (PEP), Raytheon Technologies (RTX), and AT&T (T) in my taxable account. In addition, I closed out my Disney (DIS) and Kellogg's (K) positions in my taxable account.  I also added to Arrow Financial Services (AROW), Cisco (CSCO), and First of Long Island (FLIC) in my retirement accounts.

Last quarter I brought in a total of $1,251.82 in dividends ($696.93 taxable, $234.51 Roth, and $302.38 in my IRA).  In closing 2020, the dividend count was 12.51% higher than last year and that does not include $272.50 in special dividends received. 

In terms of dividend increases, I realized 9 raises from BKH, EVR, McDonald's (MCD), VF Corp (VFC), AROW, Broadcom (AVGO), Matthew's International (MATW), Emerson Electric (EMR), and FLIC. The increases range from just about 1% to more than 15%. This brings my total raises to 72 on the year, 14 more than last year's final total. I also realized one cut of approximately 33% by KHC.

Next month I will realize two dividend increases from Realty Income (O) and Eastman Chemical (EMN).  The increases range from 0.2% to around 5%.

In addition, I added $720 in profits from options and speculation trading.  This total will be taxed at a higher rate, but it is clear that this is an important tool to add to the portfolio.  The extra cash was mostly put towards new dividend shares and creating a perpetual trading machine on the side. I do not use a lot of cash or chase lots of risks.

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

Q1 2021:

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.

2020:

• Invest a total of $10000 across all accounts. Done.
• Receive $1900 in dividends from the taxable account. Sorta, without special dividends 1844, with them 2117 - so I'll take the win.
• Exercise ~ 4x per week. Fail, between the pandemic and a prolonged hospital stay this just got left behind.
• Reduce total spending (after mortgage payments) by 5%.  Because of hospital stuff I don't even know how to count this one fairly, but definitely a fail by all standard measures due to travel. While at home we actually did reduce costs so, that is cool.

Last year I ended with this phrase "I have a feeling, no matter what happens 2020 will be another wild ride." Holy crap, I did not realize how right I was.  Well hopefully 2021 is a little less wild.

2021:

I only have a few goals for next year, but here they are:

• Invest a total of $11000 across all accounts.
• Receive $2200 in taxable dividends and $1500 in speculative cash.
• Weight, get back to my regular weight (lose the Covid 15).

I sincerely hope everyone has a better 2021 than 2020.  That said the it is always darkest just before the dawn and so go into 2021 as mentally, financially, and physically prepared as you can.

Hope everyone has a great January, a better 2021, and a Happy New Year!
- Dividend Gremlin
- Long all stock tickers mentioned

September Review / Q4 Preview 2020

Back Home Gremlin here to talk about September and the path forward.  It has been a long time since I've been home and still am working to find my feet.  The world seems to be, amazingly, in a weirder state than when we first traveled for my daughter's surgery.  I certainly did not expect it to go that way, but here we are (its like humanity never learns, same with the market). Investment wise I eliminated two laggard/mediocre positions and increased some that are better geared for my goals.  In addition, I have a small pot of play money I am using for trading - which I view as a small amount of resources to look for big returns.

The situation for everyone is likely vastly different than it was 7 or so months ago, and I am no exception.  My daughter will require more attentive care while at home until her next major surgery early next year.  That is on top of the usual work - parent of young children life balance problems that I (and a lot of others) share. Because of these facts I am going to only post an update for next quarter and my end of year closeout this year. Going forward I will probably stick to quarterly updates.  Portfolio wise I hope to provide an update for August and September combined, and for Q4 I will combine all of my portfolio / dividend updates in one place.  For the record, my Q1-Q4 will line with the calendar.

September:

This month I added shares to 11 positions in my accounts.

Last month I brought in a total of $497.29 in dividends ($211.21 taxable, $125.36 Roth, and $160.72 in my IRA).  This is an increase from last year ($436.5 total) by 13.9%.

In terms of dividend increases, I realized 6 dividend increases from Hershey's (HSY), Kroger (KR), Target (TGT), Smuckers (SJM), Walgreens (WBA), Westlake Chemical (WLK), and Essential Utilities (WTRG). This keep my total amount of raises to 39 for 2020.

Next month I will realize 2 dividend increases from Realty Income (O) and the First of Long Island Corp (FLIC).  The increases range from 0.2% to 5.5%.  My fund also experienced a 1 to 4 split from Apple (AAPL).

My fund has absorbed the following cuts or suspensions this year: Disney (DIS) [sold], Dunkin Brands (DNKN) [sold], the Gap (GPS) [sold], YUM China (YUMC) [sold], Kontoor Brands (KTB) [sold], WestRock (WRK) [sold], and Welltower (WELL) [hold]. In addition, I have eliminated Kellogg's (K) and Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) - my simple reasoning here is these companies should have had excellent years and have been mediocre.

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

Q4:

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, because I consider our house a liability and NOT an asset.

I will continue to make rolling purchases going forward, and I will supplementing with minor trading - separate from my primary portfolio.

My portfolio page will be updated soon.

Hope everyone has a chance to relax a little.
- Dividend Gremlin
- Long all stock tickers, minus those sold

August Review / September Preview 2020

Game Time Gremlin here to discuss August and look at September. It has been a long year for a lot of reasons, but it would appear a few of the big what ifs are finally coming to a close.  First, after over a month of recovery looks like it is almost time to take our daughter home.  She has recovered from surgery - but we will be back in several months for another surgery to complete her heart repair.  As an aside, if you know any families who have to go through pediatric heart surgery - just know its a tough journey and that any support is always appreciated.  

Second, the election season is almost here.  I wish we had a shorter election season and I will be glad when ours is done.  Finally, the election should add some spice / volatility into the market so we can get some quality stocks on sale.  Anyways, how did we do?

August:

This month I added shares to 7 positions in my accounts, and my update will published in about a week.

Last month I brought in a total of $361.75 in dividends ($136.84 taxable, $109.61 Roth, and $115.30 in my IRA).  This is an increase from last year ($338.97 total) by 6.7%.

In terms of dividend increases, I realized no dividend increases in August. This keep my total amount of raises to 33 for 2020.

Next month I will realize 6 dividend increases from Hershey's (HSY), Kroger (KR), National Retail Properties (NNN), Target (TGT), Smuckers (SJM), Walgreens (WBA), and Essential Utilities (WTRG).  The increases range from 1% to 7%.

My fund has absorbed the following cuts or suspensions this year: Disney (DIS) [sold], Dunkin Brands (DNKN) [sold], the Gap (GPS) [sold], YUM China (YUMC) [sold], Kontoor Brands (KTB) [sold], WestRock (WRK) [hold], and Welltower (WELL) [hold].

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

August:

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, because I consider our house a liability and NOT an asset.

I will continue to make rolling purchases going forward, and I will begin minor supplementing with options.

Next month should produce around $505 in dividends, which is a 15% YOY increase.

My portfolio page is currently up to date.

Hope everyone has a calm September (like that will happen...).
- Dividend Gremlin
- Long all stock tickers, minus those sold

July Review / August Preview 2020

Tired Gremlin here to discuss July and look into August. This is probably the latest I have ever posted a review, though there are good reasons. Mainly closely monitoring my daughter as she recovers from her surgery, which was 15 hours long. We'll be back here in the middle of winter to do it again to finish the repairs. These surgeries are highly specific and are only done a handful of places in the world. The experience has definitely taught me a lot about healthcare - both in broad and specific ways.

Meanwhile the stock market, economy, Covid, and world in general remain a mess. Even the most informed people really only have rough guesses as to how this will continues. For this reason I generally think we will see another solid market correction, from which it will take a decade to recover. Anyways, how did my stock fund do?

July:

This month I added shares to 3 positions in my accounts.

Last month I brought in a total of $150.28 in dividends ($117.16 taxable, $11.80 Roth, and $21.32 in my IRA).  This is an increase from last year ($133.34 total) by 12.7%.

In terms of dividend increases, I realized 3 dividend increases from Cardinal Health (CAH), Medtronic PLC (MDT), and Realty Income (O).  The increases range from 0.2% to 7%. This brings my total raises to 33 for 2020.

Next month I will realize 0 dividend increases, but in September I will realize 6 dividend increases from Hershey's (HSY), Kroger (KR), National Retail Properties (NNN), Target (TGT), Smuckers (SJM), Walgreens (WBA), and Essential Utilities (WTRG).  The increases range from 1% to 7%.

My fund has absorbed the following cuts or suspensions this year: Disney (DIS) [sold], Dunkin Brands (DNKN) [sold], the Gap (GPS) [sold], YUM China (YUMC) [sold], Kontoor Brands (KTB) [sold], WestRock (WRK) [hold], and Welltower (WELL) [hold].

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

August:

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, because I consider our house a liability and NOT an asset.

I will continue to make rolling purchases going forward.

Next month should produce around $347 in dividends, which is a 2% YOY increase.

My portfolio page is currently up to date.

Hope everyone has a warm but cool August.
- Dividend Gremlin
- Long all stock tickers, minus those sold

July 2020 Buys

California Gremlin here to talk about what investments and sales I have made over the past month.  I am currently away from my usual stomping grounds as my daughter recovers from her heart surgery.  It was a long and grueling procedure, but things are looking a lot better now than they were a week ago. Kids are amazing in how resilient they are, and indeed people in general are such.  These surgeries (she will need at least one more major one) have made me rethink things about financial independence and health care. Anyways, enough about that let's talk about what was bought.

No purchase or account fees were paid this month (* indicates a new position, which will be discussed below):

Taxable:
SALES: None.
KR - 5 shares @ $32.90 ($164.50), $3.60 income added
JNJ - 1 share @ $155.26 / share, $5.88 income added
Total Invested = $319/76
Annual Income Added (AIA) = $9.48

Roth:
AROW - 1 share @ $28.04, $1.04 income added
Total Invested = $28.04
AIA = $1.04

Standard IRA:
None.
Total Invested = $0
AIA = $0

Totals:
Invested = $347.80
AIA [net] = $10.52

Sales and Cuts:
D: This was a bit shocking, to receive a 33% dividend cut from Dominion.  I am leaning towards selling the stock for a minor profit, but I can see their new approach being prudent as well.  I will continue to ponder this unless the price moves to a point where I would be satisfied with a sale.

I will update my portfolio page at the end of the month.

What do you think of these companies?

- Gremlin
- Long most tickers mentioned.

June Review / July Preview 2020

Not Ready Gremlin here to discuss June and July.  So I am not ready to do this, but we will be traveling with our 8 month old across the country for some major heart surgery.  To answer the question upfront, we are traveling because this is a highly specialized procedure of which only a few places in the world have extensive experience. Thankfully one such place is in the USA, although it is not at all conveniently located for us. Considering that, we are taking a lot of precautions considering the state of the world; indeed we have been much more cautious now since she was born and at the start of this outbreak relative to most people we know. Sometimes I wish people would see the risks we are seeing from our perspective, or our 8 month old's (minus all the baby babel and literal pants pooping).

Anyways, that is the doom and gloom of our lives.  Not to be confused with the doom and gloom that the market seems to be staring right past.  The economic ripples of this whole experience may eventually rise to become a tsunami, but in the meantime I will proverbially continue to invest in the best boats out there I can find. So how did we do?

June:

This month I added shares to 9 positions and sold off three positions in my accounts. Selling should minimal for the remainder of the year, with our current stock mix having much stronger balance sheets across the board.

Last month I brought in a total of $515.86 in dividends ($232.21 taxable, $124.10 Roth, and $159.55 in my IRA).  This is an increase from last year ($438.81 total) by 17.5%.

In terms of dividend increases, I realized 2 dividend increases from Pepsico (PEP) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ).  The increases were 7 and 6.5%, respectively. This brings my total raises to 30 for 2020.

Next month I will realize 3 dividend increases from Cardinal Health (CAH), Medtronic PLC (MDT), and Realty Income (O).  The increases range from 0.2% to 7% (for MDT).

My fund has absorbed the following cuts or suspensions this year: Disney (DIS) [sold], Dunkin Brands (DNKN) [sold], the Gap (GPS) [sold], YUM China (YUMC) [sold], Kontoor Brands (KTB) [sold], WestRock (WRK) [hold], and Welltower (WELL) [hold].

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

July:

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, because I consider our house a liability and NOT an asset.

I will continue to make rolling purchases going forward.

Next month should produce around $146 in dividends, which is a 10% YOY increase.

My portfolio page is currently up to date.

Hope everyone has a sunny July.
- Dividend Gremlin
- Long all stock tickers, minus those sold

June 2020 Buys and Sells

Old Man Gremlin here to talk about what investments and sales I have made over the past month.  In June I finally closed out a few positions that had eliminated or suspended dividends and reinvested that money to dividend growing streams.  This is an annoying, but necessary process where I add more towards quality while discarding stocks with inferior management teams / business plans.  Long term this is a positive thing, but it does feel like bloodletting.

Market wise, I am a bit flabbergasted.  My science / engineering and history background tells me that the market is currently not even close to a true reflection of the US and world economic reality.  I keep saying we will not truly be able to understand or appreciate this period of time for another five to ten years.  However, it still feels like there is a middle ground approach that this world has consistently missed. The issue is, as always, how something can be done - not that should or even could it be done (i.e. can the laboratory conditions be replicated consistently in the real world?).  Anyways, I digress - what did I buy.

No purchase or account fees were paid this month (* indicates a new position, which will be discussed below):

Taxable:
SALES: GPS, KTB, and YUMC - all shares, wash sale (total proceeds of $925.39)
AXP - 2 shares @ $99.61 ($199.22), $3.44 income added
CM - 2 shares @ $68.99 ($137.99 total), $7.10 income added [approx. $CAD]
GD - 2 shares @ $153.83 / share ($307.66 total), $8.80 income added
JNJ - 1 share @ $139.46 / share, $4.04 income added
KO - 3 shares @ 45.66 / share ($137 total), $4.92 income added
CSCO - 2 shares @ $46.80 / share ($93.59 total), $2.88 income added
RY - 5 shares @ $68.28 / share ($341.39 total), $13.10 income added [approx. $CAD]
Total Invested = $1356.31
Annual Income Added (AIA) = $44.28

Income lost due to YUMC cut = $5.72
Net: +$38.56

Roth:
CSCO - 2 shares @ $46.04 / share ($92.08 total), $2.88 income added
LEG - 1 share @ $34.07, $1.60
Total Invested = $126.15
AIA = $4.48

Standard IRA:
FLIC- 9 shares @ $14.98 / share ($134.80 total), $6.48 income added
Total Invested = $134.80
AIA = $6.48

Totals:
Invested = $1617.26
AIA [net] = $49.52

Sales and Cuts:
YUMC: I received this as a spinoff from YUM, and I was pleasantly surprised by their initial dividend growth, however they have fallen off a cliff in terms of the dividend.  I locked in a huge gain on this sale, and it washed my losses to the point where I am slightly ahead.
GPS & KTB: As I stated last month, I did plan to sell these two, and I did after a minor recovery.  Overall they are a disappointment, especially KTB.  That said sometimes the lesson is worth the weight, and the recovered cash will go be a lot more useful than these two anchors are at the moment.

I will update my portfolio page at the end of the month.

What do you think of these companies?

- Gremlin
- Long most tickers mentioned, except GPS, KTB, and YUMC.

May Review / June Preview 2020

What a World Gremlin here to discuss May and June.  Ah the law of unintended consequences and the principle of when it rains - it pours. The situation in the USA can best be described as sticky with social unrest in the middle of a once a century medical emergency. In the meantime, I am planning for a cross country trip for my daughter to get her (hopefully) last major heart surgery. So all I am looking for is some peace, quiet, and a smooth trip.

That said none of this will slow the financial freedom snowball.  After all, it is not just financial freedom for myself, but also for my family.  So, despite everything going on in the world, how did my investing do this month?

May:

This month I added shares to 10 positions and sold off two positions in my accounts.

Last month I brought in a total of $324.20 in dividends ($99.29 taxable, $109.61 Roth, and $115.3 in my IRA).  This is an increase from last year ($323.36 total) by 0.25%.

In terms of dividend increases, I realized 5 dividend increases from Apple (AAPL), Royal Bank of Canada (RY), Ameriprise Financial (AMP), Kinder Morgan (KMI), and General Dynamics (GD). The increases range from 3% to 10%. This brings my total raises to 28 for 2020.

Next month I will realize 2 dividend increases from Pepsico (PEP) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ).  The increases are 7 and 6.5%, respectively.

My fund has absorbed the following cuts or suspensions this year: Disney (DIS) [sold], Dunkin Brands (DNKN) [sold], the Gap (GPS) [hold for now],  Kontoor Brands (KTB) [hold for now], WestRock (WRK) [hold], and Welltower (WELL) [hold].

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

June:

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, because I consider our house a liability and NOT an asset.

I will continue to make rolling purchases going forward.

Next month should produce around $510 in dividends, which is a 16% YOY increase.

My portfolio page is currently up to date.

Hope everyone has a June that is better than May.
- Dividend Gremlin
- Long all stock tickers

May 2020 Buys and Sells

Getting Old Gremlin here to talk about my buys for this past month.  I turn 35 next month, and I am going to go out on a limb and state this will be the lamest birthday this far in my life, but better now than in my 20s! Anyways, the market seems wildly out of line with reality.  I have also recorded several dividend cuts and suspensions, which resulted in my action to sell my first stocks in over a year.  I do not have a fast and hard criteria set for selling, however I do have some general guidelines.  1 - does the cut or suspension show me something new about their financial and market position?  2 - Is the cut a complete cut or suspension or a partial cut?

If #1 is answered yes, then if it is clearly negative and their market share is impacted then they will be sold (an example of this was TUP, which has lost its market dominance over the years). If #1 is no and #2 is only a partial cut and done in a way to eliminated debt or deal with some unusual circumstance, I will likely keep the stock assuming it can eventually resume growth (examples include KMI, WRK, and KHC). If it is a full cut, I will sell the position.  In addition, I operate under the same mantra as Maynard Keynes: "When my information changes, I change my mind. What do you do?" No sense in being stuck in the mud due to an idea. Also as a reminder my horizon is decades.

No purchase or account fees were paid this month (* indicates a new position, which will be discussed below):

Taxable:
SALES: DNKN and DIS - all shares, approximate profit of $190 (total proceeds of $1234.66)
MMM - 1 share @ $149.45, $5.88 income added
CM - 2 shares @ $61.7 ($123.40 total), $7.10 [approx. $CAD]
RTX* - 10 shares @ $54.50 / share ($545 total), $19 income added
BKH* - 10 share @ $56.40 / share ($564 total), $21.4 income added
MDT - 1 shares @ $92.89 / share , $2.32 income added
CSCO - 2 shares @ $44.23 / share ($88.47 total), $2.88 income added
Total Invested = $1563.21
Annual Income Added (AIA) = $58.58

Income lost due to DNKN, DIS, GPS, and KTB cuts = $65.2
Net: -$6.62

Roth:
AROW - 1 share @ $25.02 / share, $1.44 income added
GLW - 3 shares @ $20.52 ($61.57 total), $2.64
Total Invested = $86.59
AIA = $4.08

Standard IRA:
FLIC- 5 shares @ $14 / share ($70.03 total), $3.6 income added
WTRG - 1 share @ $40.27, $0.94
Total Invested = $110.30
AIA = $4.54

Totals:
Invested = $1760.10
AIA [net] = $2


*New Positions:
RTX: I only own one other defense company, GD.  I feel these companies are built for the next 20 years and will only continue to be financially rewarded and rewarding. Militarily, the USA has a technological dominance and it will always work to maintain that.  In addition, RTX has a massive portfolio of technologies it supports to the US government, other national governments, and to private industry. There are only a few major international players in these markets (NOC, LMT, etc.), most of which I also want to own.  I plan to at least double this position as long as costs stay reasonable and I have the money to do so.

BKH: I only own two other utilities, D and WTRG. Nominally, I really like utilities, especially ones that are in less contested regions or those that are not in the midst of multi decade declines. BKH meets all those and was temporarily priced in an attractive fashion. Indeed BKH has been on my watchlist now for years.  I believe that it along with D, SO, and WEC are among the best managed electric utilities.  I plan to build double this position as long as costs stay reasonable and I have the money to do so.

Sales and Cuts:
DNKN & DIS: Both of these stocks decided to suspend their dividends for the remainder of 2021.  I would buy back into both, but I found these decisions to be very disappointing considering their size and financial positions.  Of the two, the suspension from DIS left me with a bitter taste in my mouth, and it will be years before I think about deploying capital here.
GPS & KTB: Both of these companies suspended dividends for the remainder of the year.  Their share values dropped so hard that I have held them, but I will sell them as soon as they hit a number I am comfortable with.  It will be a miracle if I ever touch these two again, the quality and resiliency is just not there.

I will update my portfolio page at the end of the month.

What do you think of these companies?

- Gremlin
- Long most tickers mentioned, except TUP, DNKN, DIS, SO, and WEC.

April Review / May Preview 2020

Still Quarantined Gremlin here to discuss April and May.  Wow this sometime we are all living in, and honestly it will be 10, 20, or 100 years before someone looks back on this period of time and knows what the really hell happened.  Yes, we can all wrap our heads around information (perhaps even all of the information), but its not all available.  Anyways, not to stump on the issue, but this is beyond historical and unprecedented.  As a person who loves history - its fascinating.  As a person still at home most of the time with two kids that love to scream, at times in unison, its a bit frustrating.  Luckily the market is a hot mess / basket case.  So lets see how we did.

April:

This month I added shares to seven positions in my accounts.

Last month I brought in a total of $134.44 in dividends ($112.77 taxable, $11.08 Roth, and $10.7 in my IRA).  This is an increase from last year ($102.81 total) by 30%.

In terms of dividend increases, I realized 6 dividend increases from the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM), Coca Cola (KO), Realty Income (O), TD Bank (TD), WalMart (WMT), and Kimberly Clark (KMB). The increases range from 0.2% to 7%. This brings my total raises to 23 for 2020.

Next month I will realize 4 dividend increases from the Apple (AAPL), Royal Bank of Canada (RY), Kinder Morgan (KMI), and General Dynamics (GD).  The increases range from about 3% to 10%.

In addition, I have received one dividend halt/pause/suspension from the Gap (GPS) and Dunkin Brands (DNKN). These are not a huge positions for me, and I will hold, but it is annoying. DNKN should especially be able to return to form once this crisis is over.  Total lost forward 12 month income stands at: $27.74 (approx. 1.58% of taxable income)

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

May:

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, because I consider our house a liability and NOT an asset.

I will continue to make rolling purchases going forward.

Next month should produce around $350 in dividends, which is a 8% YOY increase.

My portfolio page is currently up to date.

Hope everyone has a May that is better than April.
- Dividend Gremlin
- Long all stock tickers

April 2020 Buys

Still at Home Gremlin here to talk about my buys for this past month.  Wow, almost two full months of being in lock down and for all I know we might still just be in the beginning.  It certainly is a trying thing, especially with young kids at home - sadly, I have not really picked up any new languages or cool skills.  However, I have discovered at least one new podcast that I enjoy and we are spending less money.  Silver linings...

So the question is will the market tank again or take a rocket ride directly into the sun?  No one really knows, but it is clear that the effects of both this virus and its lock down are not fully known yet.  Indeed the only consequences I would bet on are the unintended ones.  That said, I keep improving my positions because the future is now!

No purchase or account fees were paid this month (* indicates a new position, which will be discussed below):

Taxable:
BMO - 3 shares @ $49.56 / share ($148.68 total), $8.1 income added [approx. $CAD]
DNKN - 1 share @ $54.99 / share, $1.61 income added
EV - 3 shares @ $30.41 / share ($91.23 total), $4.5 income added
GD - 1 shares @ $133.23 / share , $4.40 income added
NNN - 2 shares @ $31.14 / share ($62.28 total), $4.12 income added
Total Invested = $490.37
Annual Income Added (AIA) = $22.73

Roth:
AROW - 1 share @ $27.72 / share, $1.44 income added
Total Invested = $27.72
AIA = $1.44

Standard IRA:
FLIC- 2 shares @ $14.72 / share ($29.44 total), $1.44 income added
Total Invested = $29.44
AIA = $1.44

Totals:
Invested = $547.53
AIA = $25.61

*New Positions:
None.

I will update my portfolio page at the end of the month.

What do you think of these companies?

- Gremlin
- Long all tickers mentioned

IRA to Roth Conversion Part #3

Retirement Gremlin back to talk about the long term process I am undertaking to slowly convert my IRA holdings to Roth.  This is the third 'backdoor' account conversion I have initiated.  I decided to take advantage of the economy, our down income (wife taking school year off for the 2nd child), and our general tax situation.  My first conversion and the underlying strategy can be found here.

Strategy: to avoid unnecessary taxable events, I will move around 1 to 2 "positions" a year.  At this rate I will be able to move the whole IRA to my Roth by the time I am 59. This is of course to maximize growth and minimize taxes.

Process: Since my accounts are all at the same brokerage, I can for no fee transfer single positions after a few mouse clicks.

Part 3:

For my third conversion I moved my entire position in WELL (30 shares - $1218 value). With this conversion, I am effectively moving $104.40 in forward dividends from my SEP IRA to my ROTH accounts.  The initial cost on the shares was a little over $2100 and their recent high was $3000 in value; so I feel like long term this was a good move.  The income in a Roth is always more powerful than a regular IRA.

Part 4 will happen next calendar year.

All changes will be reflected in my portfolio at the end of the month.

- Gremlin
- Long WELL