The start of every month is exciting for all dividend income investors as we look back at the previous month and see how much passive dividend income our portfolios generated. December was exciting as ever as my year over year numbers continue to highlight the trifecta magic of dividend investing which includes, adding fresh capital, dividend raises and basic compounding to create an ever increasing passive income stream. Even if I stopped adding fresh capital today and every dividend stock I owned kept all distributions flat without a single raise, my passive income stream will continue to grow.
As 2016 came in, it will be interesting for me to quantify the increasing dividends from a number of my holdings as for the last several months I have simply been adding to my existing positions rather than initiate new ones. The way I see it, the homework has already been done on my end when I decided to make a particular purchase in the first place and there are at least half a dozen companies that have fallen on hard times which has been reflected in their stock prices that I’d like to continue adding fresh capital to. Has any of their businesses fundamentally changed? Not really, which is why I feel comfortable adding to those holdings when most are selling. You already know the names, Caterpillar Inc. (CAT), Emerson Electric Co. (EMR), The Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS), The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) and more. If prices and value stay depressed for a while with the names mentioned as well as the names on my January 2016 Stock Considerations list, I may not be initiating any new holdings for some time. Of course, with all the market volatility we have been experiencing in 2015, new opportunities may arise that may just tempt me to initiate new positions.
With that being said, let’s take a look back at my December 2015 dividend income.
Dividend income from my taxable account totalled $397.78 up from $315.08 an increase of 26.2% from December of last year.
Dividend income from my ROTH account totalled $76.06 up from $71.71 an increase of 6.1% from this time last year.
Dividend income from my IRA account totalled $35.85 up from $0 from this time last year.
Grand total for the month of December: $509.69.
Grand total for 2015 dividends: $4,551.56 up from $2,954.87 an increase of 54.0% from 2014. You just have to love the very real results of dividend growth investing.
Brokerage Account
Year to date dividends: $3,291.84
| Date | Description | Symbol | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/01/2015 | DIVIDEND:GWW | GWW | $6.28 |
| 12/01/2015 | DIVIDEND:AFL | AFL | $70.23 |
| 12/01/2015 | DIVIDEND:BMS | BMS | $6.69 |
| 12/01/2015 | DIVIDEND:WFC | WFC | $14.13 |
| 12/04/2015 | DIVIDEND:SO | SO | $19.40 |
| 12/08/2015 | DIVIDEND:JNJ | JNJ | $27.54 |
| 12/09/2015 | DIVIDEND:ADM | ADM | $12.88 |
| 12/10/2015 | DIVIDEND:EMR | EMR | $27.54 |
| 12/14/2015 | DIVIDEND:MMM | MMM | $24.26 |
| 12/15/2015 | DIVIDEND:DOV | DOV | $18.61 |
| 12/15/2015 | DIVIDEND:ED | ED | $45.00 |
| 12/15/2015 | DIVIDEND:MCD | MCD | $20.71 |
| 12/15/2015 | DIVIDEND:KO | KO | $30.14 |
| 12/18/2015 | DIVIDEND:VFC | VFC | $12.28 |
| 12/21/2015 | DIVIDEND:D | D | $21.08 |
| 12/31/2015 | DIVIDEND:BDX | BDX | $13.38 |
| 12/31/2015 | DIVIDEND:IR | IR | $24.83 |
| 12/31/2015 | DIVIDEND:ALLE | ALLE | $2.80 |
| Total: $397.78 |
ROTH Account
Year to date dividends: $1,078.91
| Date | Description | Symbol | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/08/2015 | DIVIDEND:JNJ | JNJ | $6.37 |
| 12/10/2015 | DIVIDEND:EMR | EMR | $25.21 |
| 12/10/2015 | DIVIDEND:UL | UL | $15.62 |
| 12/14/2015 | DIVIDEND:MMM | MMM | $9.63 |
| 12/15/2015 | DIVIDEND:MCD | MCD | $9.57 |
| 12/15/2015 | DIVIDEND:KO | KO | $9.66 |
| Total: $76.06 |
IRA Account
Year to date dividends: $180.81
| Date | Description | Symbol | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/30/2015 | DIVIDEND:VTR | VTR | $31.88 |
| 12/31/2015 | DIVIDEND:CCP | CCP | $3.97 |
| Total: $35.85 |
Are any of these dividend stocks in your portfolio too? How was your December dividend income? Please let me know below.
Disclosure: Long all above
Great update Div Hut. I received some dividends from McDonalds and J&J as well. MCD gained like 25% last year lol. It was one of my best performers. What makes dividend investing so appealing is how it can actually make the average person rich if done correctly and consistently. 🙂
Hi Liquid,
Your last line is well said and so true. These investing tactics are available to anyone and with the right temperament and patience along with investment consistency anyone can build a passive income stream that can fully cover or at least supplement living costs into “retirement.” MCD is a great stock and I remember less than one year ago how everyone left that name for dead. It was all about PNRA or CMG. How quickly things change. Thank you for commenting.
Great month and a year DivHut! Great portfolio! Do you ever sell your stocks when they perform very good? I am getting to the point when I really want to start doing this. As the most recent example would be KMI. this stock was performing so good and if I would sell it back then and reinvest into some other lugging stock I would be in a better shape. I planned to do it more often in 2015 but didn’t do much, Hopefully in 2016 I will be better in selling more. 🙂
Happy Healthy and Wealthy Girl recently posted…Project: Dividend Stocks for Teenager December update
Hi HHaWG,
2015 ended on a high note to say the least. I have been very happy with my dividend income results. To answer your question, I have sold stocks in the past and am not afraid to do so. It’s just a very rare occurrence. Ever since I became an exclusive dividend growth investor back in 2007 I have not sold one share of anything. But, you do bring up a good point regarding selling on a high and taking that cash and put it to use elsewhere. Truth be told, I have it in the back of my head to sell some of my lower yielding but high capital gains stocks. Some names include, ALLE, up 217%, BCR, up 123% or maybe BDX, up 100%. The thinking is that I can take that cash and put into other names in my portfolio that yield over 3% instead of less than 1% like some of the names mentioned. So it’s not out of the question. I just haven’t sold anything since 2007. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
54% year over year increase, really?! Awesome and congrats, now do that again in 2016 😉
Team CF recently posted…Savings Rate December 2015
Hi TCF,
Thank you for your continued support. Repeating that increase may be difficult going into 2016 but it’s certainly attainable. There are some very high quality, high yielding companies out there besides energy plays that can make it possible. Look at BNS, RY, EMR and more. Yielding over 4% can certainly move that dividend income needle. Thank you for commenting.
Excellent year on year increases there, DH! Like you say, it’s great when you see your strategy working and in action!
I received my monthly income in December so was very pleased. I reckon I might just hit my £100 in a month milestone this year which will be sweet!
Keep up the great work!
Hi weenie,
You know the sayings, “The proof is in the pudding,” and “Dividends don’t lie.” It’s real money being returned to shareholders that makes it very easy to track real income progress. Keep sticking with those high quality dividend payers and your goal of £100 in a month is certainly in your future. Thank you for your continued support.
Wow doubling your dividend income compared to 2014? That’s totally awesome DivHut. Congrats! Can’t wait to see what will happen in 2016. 🙂
Hi Tawcan,
Well, it’s not quite a double but still an impressive increase from my 2014 totals. So far, 2016 is proving to us that volatility is not out of fashion. I’ll be watching my stocks under consideration for the month but truth be told, those Canadian banks are looking ever tastier. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Wow an increase of 54% from the previous year- that’s awesome. Can’t wait to see what you accomplish in 2016.
Michael @ NTPNW recently posted…Investing In the Stock Market- Stand Your Ground
Hi Michael,
As you can imagine I have been very pleased with my year over year results. I know a lot of those results have come from my ROTH portfolio’s increasing Canadian bank holdings such as TD, BNS and RY. No doubt those high yields contributed a lot to my final result. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
Amazing…a 54% increase in actual dividend received during the year. Great job Keith! This is where it all seems t oget really interesting as the power of compounding will soon begin to take-off. I’m excited to see your dividend income continue to grow this year and beyond. Plus, it is always nice to see that we have plenty of overlapping companies in our dividend income summary.
Keep up the great work and keep on pushing yourself. Hopefully you have at least another 54% increase in actual dividends received in 2016!
Dividend Diplomats recently posted…Lanny’s 2015 Portfolio Review
Hi DD,
You know it. Compounding magic starts to take hold as our passive income grows. To think, that’s $4,551.56 I’ll have working for me going into 2016 and more with the inevitable dividend raises that are set to occur with many of my holdings. I’ll keep pushing every month as I have been doing for a few years. Some months will see bigger investments while others will be smaller but the point is to remain consistent as I’ll be making buys every month this year. That’s a certainty. As always, I appreciate your comment.
Pretty good increase from previous year!
Hi Sam,
2015 proved to be a great year for my dividend income portfolio. It will be interesting to see what can be pulled off in 2016. Thank you for commenting.
Keep it up Keith.
You’re on a roll and it’s only going up. Every year, we’re just trending it up and up. Keep hustling hard and before you know it, baby Divhut’s gonna be super proud of you for preparing for the future.
Thanks for sharing and wish you and the family the best! Les rip it up!!
Cheers mate.
Hi DH,
Always appreciate the support and positive comments. It’s so true that dividend income, with all the inevitable bumps along the way, trends in only one direction, up. I’m eager to make my first buys in 2016 and continue on this journey for myself and family. Look forward to reading some great results on your end in the coming months. Thank you for commenting.
A 54% increase year over year! Awesome! Gotta love dividend investing and this community to help push you towards your goals.
Look forward to seeing the totals in December 2016 – Let’s just hope the year doesn’t go by as fast as this one!
ADD
americandividenddream recently posted…Dividend Income – November 2015 Update
Hi americandividenddream,
Time has a way of flying by. The key is to be aware of that fact and make the most of it. We are all guilty of “wasting” time at some points through out our days. Look forward to making my first purchase in 2016 and get that dividend snowball rolling for the year. As always, I appreciate your comment.
You are rocking it. Gogogogogogo!
Financial Velociraptor recently posted…Teck Resources discounted bond
Hi FV,
Thank you for those words. The plan is for more of the same in 2016. It will be interesting to see how the year unfolds after a very volatile 2015. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Hi Divhut,
again a nice income the last month. I also had quite a good month. I am already looking forward to reaching your numbers :).
Keep rocking and investing wisely 😉
Andreas recently posted…Portfolio Update December
Hi Andreas,
Thank you for your kind words regarding my dividend income results. It’s such a great way to quantify progress with real cash that cannot be faked. This is why dividends are real. Happy to hear you are making good progress yourself. Just stick to the high quality dividend growers rather than chasing high current yield, diversify and you should be just fine long term. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
You are making some awesome progress and inspiring a lot of people. That’s an impressive yoy increase. Keep up the good work! I’ll be keeping an eye on your purchases for sure. I wish you the best in 2016.
Brent @ AAI recently posted…New Purchases – 01/05/16
Hi Brent,
Thank you for your continued support. It’s always nice to know that these updates can inspire anyone on their own dividend growth journey no matter where they are on that path. So far, Mr. Market has been giving us some new buying opportunities in 2016. Will this decline continue? Who knows. Just keep nibbling on positions that offer safe yields and ride out the storm. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Keith,
Awesome numbers yet again! What’s not to love about a 54% (!!!) at the level of income you’re already making. Reading your monthly updates remains a huge motivator to keep pushing myself. Gotta love income that’s free-of-work.
Best of luck in 2016,
NMW
No More Waffles recently posted…Dividend Income for December 2015
Hi NMW,
Work free income as you state is just awesome. It’s really awesome at any level. Who couldn’t use an extra $50 or $500 for that matter in any given month? Thank you for your continued support and well wishes. Let’s all continue to motivate one another as we have been and pick solid dividend payers and not those risky high payout ratio high yielding stocks. Steady growth over time tends to always win. Thank you for your comment.
DivHut,
Great end to the year, breaking 4K with it coming from very strong long term positions. That is the kind of growth I am targeting and pursuing. It looks like the market is going to offer us a lot of chances for nice growth too, with stock prices declining for us long term investors. Here’s to having a good new year, with lots of good buying opportunities.
– Gremlin
Dividend Gremlin recently posted…December, 2015 Review / January, 2016 Preview
Hi DG,
The year definitely finished off on a strong foot regarding my dividend income. Looks like my ROTH totals really juiced my returns for the year. So far January is presenting us with many great buying opportunities from a lot of high quality names. Looks like this month’s buys will come from my January stock considerations post as EMR, CAT, DOV, ADM and the large Canadian banks really took it on the chin the last few days. Buy when others are selling, right? Thank you fort stopping by and commenting.
Nice dividend increase from 2014 to 2015! It’s impressive you’re hitting over 50% considering your 2014 dividend income was almost $3K. Great job and I look forward to following your progress in 2016 as well.
Hi ACI,
Thank you for your continued support and kind words regarding my dividend income. 2015 was a great year in terms of a year over year increase in dividend income largely because of my ROTH Canadian bank holdings. Their value and yields are looking quite enticing these days and might help juice my 2016 returns as well. As always, I appreciate your comment.
First full year with DGI and nearly $14,000 in total dividends up 35.4% over 2014 for me. Had some overly aggressive picks in there and got burned on some, so I need to do some pruning, but I’m going to wait things out before getting too aggressive on the trimming end. I also had some spinoffs I was not aware of and some of those tanked.
Looking forward to a nice 2016 with new additions, portfolio streamlining, and additions to existing positions.
Hi DH,
That’s an amazing total you put up for 2015. Congrats on achieving that nice five figure milestone. Long term, it’s always wise to go for safer lower yielding growing dividends rather than simply chasing current high yield. Good way to minimize the “burned” sensation. Curious to see your holdings and where you like to invest. Do you plan to publish your portfolio online? Thank you for sharing your dividend income figure with us and for commenting.
Great numbers DH, crossing $500 and yoy growth. I crossed $400 and hopefully, January will be first month when I finally crosses $500 barrier. I own many of the same names. Keep the good race going!
Race2Retirement recently posted…Dividend Income Update – December 2015
Hi R2R,
Always nice to see some portfolio holdings in common with others. As you always say, “keep racing,” and that’s the plan starting in 2016. I think Mr. Market is once again in one of his moods giving us many great buying opportunities in traditionally solid long term dividend payers and raisers. No need to stretch and speculate these days when names like EMR, ADM, CAT, DOV and many more are sporting such attractive yields and valuations. As always, I appreciate your comment.
Congrats on having a killer year Div hut. I didn’t reach my 5K goal but I came in pretty close. I am excited to what 2016 will bring and looking to surpass 6000 with great investing picks. All stocks right now are priced right, just need to find some extra capital. LOL.
EL @ Moneywatch101 recently posted…Milestones Realized in 2015
Hi EL,
Thank you for your kind words. I was pleased with my 2015 results. The year over year increase was really nice to realize. I have a feeling you’ll hit your 2016 goals. These days a lot of great companies are selling at much better prices, value and yield that should get you to your goal by the end of the year. Good luck finding that extra capital. A “problem” every dividend growth investor faces. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
I think your December sounds like a great way to top off a successful 2015, Divhut, Over 50% growth from last year is a fantastic achievement – well done!
I’ll post my dividend income for December soon, but it wasn’t very exciting – just the earliest of shoots of a big tree of the future for me at the moment.
I can’t wait to see how you’ve done in a year’s time from now, it should be another great year!
Tristan
Tristan @ Dividendsdownunder recently posted…Saving for the future: December
Hi Tristan,
Always appreciate your kind words and continued support. Achieving over 50% year over year growth took a few months of heavy investing but was achievable in the end. A lot of the help came from my Canadian banks in my ROTH account which all offer relatively high yields and good value. Stay focused on your long term dividend growth and before you know it those modest shoots will blossom into a huge dividend paying tree. As always, I appreciate your comment.
Hi DivHut,
Congrats on a great end to the year! A 54% increase in income is awesome and I’m looking forward to following your journey in 2016.
Best wishes,
-DL
Dividend Life recently posted…December 2015 – Spending and monthly summary
Hi DL,
Thank you for the well wishes. Of course, it will be interesting to see how 2016 unfolds in terms of dividend income and growth. One step at a time day by day is how I take it. All I want to see is continued growth. It can be 25% year over year growth and I’ll still be pleased. Look forward to following your 2016 journey as well. Thank you for commenting.
“Grand total for 2015 dividends: $4,551.56” that is awesome! Especially considering from your About Page you started in your mid 30’s. So is that’s roughly 7-8 years ago? That is huge inspiration for someone like me going on 29. Are you investing extra money from your primary income or do you have other sources as well?
Wallet Squirrel recently posted…Toluna Review, How I almost made $30 answering surveys
Hi WS,
You are correct with your estimate regarding when I started as a dedicated dividend growth investor. You can see my annual dividend income progress on my “Dividend Income” page. You can see that the early years were a lot more modest. You have to start somewhere. I have been investing for a long, long time. Take a look at My First Stock & Dividend. I wish I would have understood the power of long term dividend growth investing back then instead of “playing” around with my stock purchases. All money invested comes from my primary income. As I am self-employed, my income can vary every few months which is sometimes reflected with my buys as some months I may only invest $800 and other months I might invest over $3,000. As always, I appreciate your comment.
Hey DH!
Congrats on another successful month of dividends rolling in! 54% increase in 2015 from 2014, eh? That’s freakin’ beautiful! Keep it up man, I’m with you over here.
Best regards,
DB
Dividend Beginner recently posted…Recent Purchase: Canadian Western Bank (TSE: CWB)
Hi DB,
Thank you for your kind words and continued support. Each month we all try and scrounge up any cash for investment knowing that every dollar invested buys us that little bit of freedom. Some months in 2015 I was able to invest more heavily than others. My end goal is to make at minimum one buy each month. In that respect I remain true to my own goal of staying consistent with my investments in all market conditions. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.