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. March 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 via reinvestment 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. Of course, my plan is to never stop adding cash to my accounts even during times like these when the market, and many individual stocks, are trading at expensive valuations and less than robust dividend yields. All you can really do in the meantime is try and pinpoint the best ‘relative’ values and yields while continually deploying fresh capital.
March was a busy month for me with a record total for dividend income as well as the addition of two new names to my portfolio with Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) and LTC Properties, Inc. (LTC) making the cut. The latter, LTC, a monthly dividend payer should provide a nice boost to my passive income stream as I slowly build out that position. For now, it remains a token holding. Also, last month brought news of two spin offs in my portfolio announcing dividend initiations. I look forward to seeing Adient plc (ADNT) and Versum Materials, Inc. (VSM) both contributing to my future passive income streams.
With that being said, let’s take a look back at my March 2017 dividend income.
Dividend income from my taxable account totaled $568.21 up from $444.07 an increase of 28.0% from March of last year.
Dividend income from my ROTH account totaled $140.58 up from $77.88 an increase of 80.5% from this time last year.
Dividend income from my IRA account totaled $98.46 up from $43.75 a year over year increase of 125.1%.
Grand total for the month of March: $807.25 an increase of 42.7% from March 2016.
You know the saying, “Holy cow!!!” Now that’s an exciting month of dividend income. No wonder dividend growth investors love these end of quarter months. This was a lot more exciting than my 8.7% year over year increase I had in February. Not that I’m complaining… an increase is an increase no matter the size.
Brokerage Account
| Date | Description | Symbol | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03/01/2017 | DIVIDEND:GWW | GWW | $7.96 |
| 03/01/2017 | DIVIDEND:BMS | BMS | $7.38 |
| 03/01/2017 | DIVIDEND:AFL | AFL | $75.93 |
| 03/01/2017 | DIVIDEND:WFC | WFC | $15.62 |
| 03/06/2017 | DIVIDEND:SO | SO | $34.91 |
| 03/10/2017 | DIVIDEND:EMR | EMR | $38.14 |
| 03/13/2017 | DIVIDEND:MMM | MMM | $28.73 |
| 03/14/2017 | DIVIDEND:ADM | ADM | $57.42 |
| 03/14/2017 | DIVIDEND:JNJ | JNJ | $30.42 |
| 03/15/2017 | DIVIDEND:ED | ED | $50.03 |
| 03/15/2017 | DIVIDEND:DOV | DOV | $20.13 |
| 03/15/2017 | DIVIDEND:MCD | MCD | $26.50 |
| 03/15/2017 | DIVIDEND:UL | UL | $6.87 |
| 03/17/2017 | DIVIDEND:KHC | KHC | $34.32 |
| 03/20/2017 | DIVIDEND:D | D | $34.14 |
| 03/20/2017 | DIVIDEND:VFC | VFC | $23.19 |
| 03/30/2017 | DIVIDEND:TROW | TROW | $2.87 |
| 03/31/2017 | DIVIDEND:BDX | BDX | $15.11 |
| 03/31/2017 | DIVIDEND:PEP | PEP | $18.89 |
| 03/31/2017 | DIVIDEND:IR | IR | $35.13 |
| 03/31/2017 | DIVIDEND:ALLE | ALLE | $4.52 |
| Total: $568.21 |
ROTH Account
| Date | Description | Symbol | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03/10/2017 | DIVIDEND:EMR | EMR | $26.66 |
| 03/13/2017 | DIVIDEND:MMM | MMM | $11.40 |
| 03/14/2017 | DIVIDEND:JNJ | JNJ | $7.04 |
| 03/15/2017 | DIVIDEND:MCD | MCD | $10.49 |
| 03/15/2017 | DIVIDEND:UL | UL | $34.93 |
| 03/17/2017 | DIVIDEND:KHC | KHC | $21.11 |
| 03/20/2017 | DIVIDEND:VFC | VFC | $17.09 |
| 03/31/2017 | DIVIDEND:PEP | PEP | $11.86 |
| Total: $140.58 |
IRA Account
| Date | Description | Symbol | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03/02/2017 | DIVIDEND:HCP | HCP | $39.71 |
| 03/31/2017 | DIVIDEND:CCP | CCP | $21.02 |
| 03/31/2017 | DIVIDEND:LTC | LTC | $1.90 |
| 03/31/2017 | DIVIDEND:VTR | VTR | $35.83 |
| Total: $98.46 |
The proof of our dividend investing strategy rests in these real results. After all, dividends don’t lie. It’s real cash being returned to investors. With patience and consistency these results and better can be achieved.
Are any of these dividend stocks in your portfolio too? How was your March dividend income? Please let me know below.
Disclosure: Long all above
Impressive results, Div Hut and end of quarter is a great time for dividends indeed. Between my taxable and Roth accounts, I had the highest dividend month ever! I ended up with just shy of $6000 in dividends, and a QoQ increase of 10% over prior year same quarter.
Ten Factorial Rocks recently posted…This Game Doesn’t Fool You
Hi TFR,
Every dividend investor looks forward to those end of quarter months. They are definitely the most fun to report. Congrats on your impressive dividend income and highest month ever. Looks like you have been putting quite a bit into your own dividend portfolio to generate that amount of passive income. Something for me to look forward to. Thank you for sharing.
Very nice results overall, I hope to one day have similar results. This is years down the track for me but I am very keen on making this happen. Thanks.
Buy, Hold Long recently posted…Net Worth Update – March 2017 – 25% Increase
Hi BHL,
These results did not come overnight for me. I have been a dividend growth investor since 2007 slowly adding fresh capital to my long term portfolio. Only in recent years have things picked up a bit. In time, you can achieve these results and better. It just takes patience and consistency and the ability to not get shaken out of the market. I appreciate your comment.
Great results DH! 42% on those numbers is a great result.
And some nice new companies added to!
Pursuit2Freedom recently posted…Dividend Income of March
Hi P2F,
Thank you for your continued support. As you can imagine, I was pretty impressed with that double digit year over year gain and seeing these results just keeps me motivated to continue on the same path.
42% increase is awesome! Way to go!
Hi dividendgeek,
The power of dividend growth investing at work. Of course, I got some help from HCP, for example, that shifted their payout schedule but seeing such a strong result just keeps me motivated. Thank you for commenting.
Damn. That’s a huge year over year increase. We’ve got quite several companies in common although I wouldn’t mind adding some utilities to my portfolio to boost the yield slightly and offer some protection in case the markets start going crazy. There’s something to be said about the stable utes. Overall it looks like you had a great first quarter of 2017.
Hi JC,
I was very pleased with my March results and first quarter showing overall. I’m on pace to beat my 2016 totals without having to invest another penny in 2017. Of course, that’s not going to happen as I plan to keep making my buys in all market conditions. Happy to hear we have several companies in common paying us for the month. Nothing wrong with adding utilities either. I hold D, SO and ED and recently just started looking at PPL to learn more. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
impressive growth and snowball affect seems to be in force,even i made small addition of HRL.
Hi desidividend,
After such a “weak” year over year growth in February it was nice to see a strong double digit gain. Congrats on the HRL pick up. Like you, I just nibbled on that stock but will look to add more should the yield hit 2%+. As always, I appreciate your comment.
Holy cow is right. Really great results Keith. It looks like you and I almost tied on March dividend income.
Hi IH,
Always appreciate hearing the positive comments from you and others in our community. Looks like March was solid for all of us. The plan is to keep increasing that dividend income every single month. Thank you for commenting.
Awesome month you were having! Between adding new capital, dividend increases, and collecting and reinvesting dividends, everything seems to be going in the right direction. Seems like everyone is hitting records highs this month/ quarter. Keep that pace up!
Dividend Daze recently posted…Dividend Update – March
Hi DD,
You speak of the magic “trifecta” of dividend investing. Do one of the three and you are fine. Do two and things are looking great. Do all three (add fresh capital, reinvest, get dividend raises) and you are golden. March was a great month for us all judging by the reports I have been reading so far. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Awesome month once you get big numbers it gets harder and harder to have huge YOY increases so this is awesome. We don’t share anything in this month yet but someday we will
Doug recently posted…MARCH Dividends
Hi Doug,
Thank you for your kind words and continued support. Too bad we don’t share any names in common for the month of March. There are a lot of great dividend aristocrats paying in those end of quarter months. I appreciate your comment.
DH,
Nice month. An increase is still an increase, though let’s face it some are cooler than others. Enjoy that growth.
– Gremlin
Dividend Gremlin recently posted…March Review / April Preview 2017
Hi DG,
So true. I was just trying to be “nice.” No doubt, double digit increases kick butt when compared to single digit increases. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
I love it!
Once again we are neck and neck Keith. Another great month.
I love the Hormel buy btw.
Divi Cents recently posted…Dividend Income – March 2017
Hi DC,
It’s great to see so many of our fellow investors doing so well in March. Just shows what can be achieved by simply ignoring the financial headline noise and staying invested in quality companies. HRL has been making the rounds in our community the last several weeks. There’s a lot to like about that company long term. Thank you for commenting.
A 42,7% increase is a whole lot! it is amazing.
Amber tree recently posted…Dividend and option income March 2017
Hi At,
It sure was great seeing the results of my March income. Sure, I got a little help from HCP, for example, as they shifted their payout schedule but it was still a very strong month nevertheless. As always, I appreciate your comment.
Nice writing . For what it’s worth , if someone needs a IRS 1040 Line 44 , We came across a template document here https://goo.gl/ZcLbli.
Hi HA,
Glad you liked this post. Thanks for sharing that template. It’s a dividend income line item I’m guessing?
That looks like a great month. I just had a couple of your stocks in common – SO and MCD.
Also, nice distribution between tax advantaged and taxable accounts. $1000 a month is within reach – thanks for sharing…
Desi Guy recently posted…Passive Income Update – March 2017
Hi DG,
Two names in common are better than none 🙂 There are so many great dividend companies paying in those end of quarter months I’m surprised you do not have more. Thank you for your comment and continued support. I still look forward to that four digit income month in my future.
Wow thats an amazing month DH. You have a nice collection of great paying dividend stocks. That is a really impressive yoy for a portfolio of your size. Those are some nice additions. I have recently started looking into HRL also. Nice post and thanks for asking.
More Dividends recently posted…Recent Buy – General Mills (GIS) & a little Kroger (KR)
Hi MD,
I built out my portfolio with mostly traditional dividend growth stocks and not the more attractive and riskier high yield plays. I’m glad you can appreciate the quality of my holdings. My portfolio may not have the highest overall yield but it does let me sleep well at night. HRL continues to look enticing at current levels and as you have already seen many of our fellow dividend investing peers have been buying into that name. Thank you for commenting.
Nice work man. Nice year over year growth. Always great seeing big monthly dividend incomes. Can’t wait to get there
Passivecanadianincome recently posted…Passive Income Ideas
Hi Passivecanadianincome,
Thank you for the kind words and support. In time, you will see these results too as long as you stay invested in the market. It’s important keep collecting and building that dividend income stream during all market conditions. Selling because you think the market is poised for a crash is a very inconsistent way to build up an ever growing passive income stream. Thank you for commenting.
Weird for some reason I can’t comment with the comment lover thing on posts.
Anyways nice work man. Great to see these big dividend incomes keeps me motivated
Passivecanadianincome recently posted…Passive Income Ideas
Hi Passivecanadianincome,
Your commentluv has been posted. I see it. Let’s keep motivating one another on our individual dividend growth journeys.
Hut –
Just awesome and yes WOW growth right there. Look how many dividend aristocrats you have paying you! It’s just awesome, that’s what that is. Big congrats this month and you were closing in on the $1k no doubt. The growth is attributable to your consistency with investments + growth rates received. True proof right here that DGI is effective!
-Lanny
Dividend Diplomats recently posted…Idle Cash Sitting Under the Couch Cushion
Hi DD,
I still can’t believe some the financial talking heads or articles I read online deriding ‘buy and hold dividend growth investing.’ It works. Period. And if we see DOW 30K or DOW 10K, there is a very, very, very, high likelihood that most of our holdings will continue to pay and even raise their dividends during those times of crisis. I always say that part of being in the DGI game is consistency. You have to always be investing because, “every dollar counts 🙂 ” and over time those dollars add up to a growing passive income stream. Let’s keep fighting the good fight! As always, I appreciate your comment.
this is freakin awesome! congratulations on such an amazing result! keep that up!
best regards
Chri
easydividend recently posted…Einnahmen März 2017
Hi easydividend,
Wow, I’m so happy to read such positive comments and excitement about my March results. As you know, it’s business as usual for me which means I’ll keep investing and slowly build up my passive income stream over time. Thank you for commenting.
Hey DH, the upward trend continues! Seems that you DGI strategy is working out well. Keep that up!
Hi TCF,
That’s one of the main objectives of being a dividend growth investor… seeing that upward trend of passive income continue every single month no matter where the market or world economies are. Thank you for your continued support.
wow!! spectacular growth. All of that putting back into the account create even more yield. The whole portfolio is like a cash growing machine! And the engine hasn’t seem to slow down at all.
I guess, best of all your blog is growing big. Any chance you’ll disclose your blog income anytime soon?
Hi Vivianne,
I like that phrase, “…a cash growing machine!” That is, in fact, what dividend growth investing is really all about. I will remain consistent with my buying making sure I put money to work every single month no matter where the market currently is or seemingly headed. I probably will write a post about my blog income some day. It’s really not that impressive of a figure but it’s still some cash coming in. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Awesome DivHut. Good idea to track the difference in income between each month and year. Will do the same. Thanks for the tip!
Stockles recently posted…Price Return vs Total Return
Hi Stockles,
Tracking the year over year income growth helps you visualize your progress over time. Doing that allows you to determine if you are on track to meeting your annual passive income goals or not. It’s a basic metric but does shed a lot of light. Thank you for commenting.
Fantastic month, Keith! Congratulations! I have yet to run the numbers, but it looks like I’ll be setting a new record for monthly dividend income in March. I just love these quarter-ending months!
Hi FerdiS,
Thank you for those kind words about my March results. Like you, I look forward to the end of quarter months as they tend to be most exciting months to report. Seems like most of us are hitting record highs in March. The power of DGI continues to impress!
Excellent update Div Hut. I’m also looking to add HRL to my dividend portfolio, but I’m still learning about the company. I also wish I had half as much as you do in dividend income, but I know that I will eventually get there.
Data Lore recently posted…April 2017 Major Update: Dividend Portfolio Freedom Fund
Hi DL,
March did not disappoint, that’s for sure. I will remain consistent with my buying continuing to add to my portfolio at least on a monthly basis as I have been doing since I started down the DGI path. You already know that HRL is a popular name among our peers. Seems like everyone is nibbling on that stock these days. Just keep buying every month as much as you can and your dividend income will continue to grow over time. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Wow that’s a great YoY increase! Keep up the good work.
Hi DK,
As you can imagine, I was quite impressed too after I calculated my results. This is the power of long term dividend growth investing at work. Thank you for your comment and continued support.
Nice update Keith, congrats on all of the dividends for this month. A great increase considering the starting amount.
Mr DDU
Dividends Down Under recently posted…Dividend update: March 2017
Hi DDU,
I appreciate the kind words and support. March did not disappoint me at all and really excited me again about the DGI way. Seeing double digit year over year gains just continues to prove to me that I’m headed in the right direction. Thank you for commenting.
HI Divhut,
again nice dividend income month. March was for me as well a very good month, actually my best dividend income month so far.
cheers
DivIncome recently posted…Portfolio Update March
Hi DI,
This latest update seems to have been the best for many of our fellow investing peers. It’s always fun to read these updates especially when our year over year gains produce records for passive income. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Thanks for sharing your dividend income update, Kieth! It’s motivating to see your results. I don’t own any of the stocks in your portfolio. But there are definitely some (JNJ, PEP, UL, MCD) I would start positions in at lower prices.
Graham @ Reverse The Crush recently posted…PD Update | Goal-Setting for April 2017
Hi RTC,
I agree that these updates are very motivating. I love reading about how our fellow bloggers are doing on the dividend income front. It always gets me fired up especially when most are posting great year over year gains. In time, I am sure we’ll have some dividend stocks in common. You can’t be a true DGI without JNJ, PEP, UL, MCD in your portfolio. Thank you for commenting.
Nice dividend income. I am also happy seeing my account going up too. Are you reinvesting dividends? if so, are you reinvesting via DRIP or selective reinvesting?
Hi Martin,
March has been a great month for almost all of us. As you can imagine I was quite pleased with the results. For now, all dividends are automatically reinvested. Since I went the DGI route I always reinvested. In the future, or at times when I won’t have as much fresh capital available to invest I might go the selective reinvesting route. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Wow Awesome growth and great looking overall portfolio. I love seeing it!
It seems like a snowball is finally starting to roll and get going for you! Will be awesome to see what this looks like in another year or two.
Save Splurge Deny Debt – Cameron recently posted…My 3 Favorite Index ETFs: Long-Term Investing to Build Your Retirement
Hi SSDD,
Thank you for those kind words and support. The snowball is definitely starting to take hold. The DGI route is a marathon and not a sprint which is why you must have extreme patience to allow the magic of compounding to take hold of your passive income stream. As always, I appreciate your comment.
Nice dividend income. It seems that you’ll be above $1k by the end of this year! That’ll be quite a milestone.
Troy @ Market History recently posted…Will the S&P 500 consolidate within a range in the next few months?
Hi MH,
It will be exciting to see that magic four digit mark come in one of these days. I have been doing this for a long, long time (since 2007) which just goes to show how slowly and methodically I have been investing and not selling all these years. My next long term goal is to see an average of $1K a month. It’s still a while away but a goal nonetheless. Thank you for commenting.
Wow those are some amazing results. 42% increase!!! Wow!!! Great job and I can only assume that you’re going to continue to ride the wave 🙂 Keep up the awesome work and I can’t wait to see how April goes!!
Mustard Seed Money recently posted…Guest Post: Keys to Successfully Managing Student Debt After Graduation
Hi MSM,
The wave riding will continue. I have no plans to unload stock (at profit) and sit in cash. Whether we see DOW 10K or DOW 30K, I’m in it long term. My goal with this portfolio has always been to generate an ever increasing passive income stream. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Hi DH, nice to visit your blog. An impressive yoy increase in dividends, especially your ROTH account! Hope you have a great April.
Hi wealthfromthirty,
Thank you for those kind words. Glad you enjoyed your visit to DivHut 🙂 I won’t always put up double digit year over year gains (February was only an 8.7% gain) but I’ll gladly take them when they come. For now, it’s business as usual, investing every month, reinvesting dividends and growing that passive income stream. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Crazy! The year-over-year increase is awesome. Very well done and a perfect example of why DGI investing is so effective. Congrats!
Hi Jay,
DGI just works and I am always surprised at the number of people who do not like this strategy. It’s all about growing a passive income stream and that’s what DGI does. Plain and simple and effective. Thank you for your kind words and support.
Congrats DH! on stupendous growth, you killed it this month 🙂 You have nice set of companies along with spin offs. Keep racing towards FI life.
Race2Retirement recently posted…Dividend Income Update – March 2017
Hi R2R,
Dividend growth stocks, spin offs that also pay, reinvesting and fresh capital all contribute to our growing passive income stream. As you know, the race will continue no matter where we are in an economic cycle or where the market is or headed. As always, I appreciate your comment.
All I can say is Wow … Good results!
Hi Charlie,
Short but sweet. Wow was my reaction too. Thank you for commenting.
As always super inspiring. Love checking in on how you’re going – gives me the motivation i need to succeed.
Hi Matty,
I’m always happy to share my real world results and to help inspire others on their own journey. Like you, I get a lot of inspiration and support from our fellow bloggers. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Great job DivHut. Love following your journey!
Dan
Hi Dan,
Thank you for those kind words. It’s truly inspiring to see so many of us following the DGI path and sharing our monthly mini success stories. As always, I appreciate your comment.
Nice job DivHut!
LTC is on my watch list, it’s a great Healthcare REIT that pays monthly dividends and that just means Monthly Compound Interest!
There are definitely some people who could retire on $807.25 per month. You’re crushing it. Keep it up!
-Andrew
Wallet Squirrel recently posted…A UserTesting Review By a Frustrated Applicant
Hi WS,
Always appreciate the ‘happy vibes’ coming from you. March was a great month in terms of passive income and as you can imagine I was quite pleased with the results. I kept nibbling on the health REITs when everyone was sour on the sector because of interest rate hike fears, etc. In fact, the last several months have been harsh on the REITs which is why I added to my CCP a couple times and started an LTC position. This month, it’s the food staples that continue to get hammered. Why not nibble a bit there? Thank you for commenting.
Nice month and a nice increase, happy to see you’re doing so well 🙂
MrSLM recently posted…Financial Update – March 2017
Hi MSLM,
Thank you for the well wishes. It looks like March was a very, very strong month for most of us. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Congrats on another stellar month! 42% growth, now if you can just maintain that for 10 years…what are we at, 30k a month? That’d do just fine. This is so fun to watch, year after year everyone’s growth stories. Cheers to April!
DividendStacker recently posted…2017 Goals – Q1 Review
Hi DS,
Well, I’m not sure about maintaining 42% growth… but I’ll take any year over year increase small or large as it simply confirms to me that I’m moving in the right direction. As always, I appreciate your comment.
That 800 dollar amount will probably be 1,000 next year. The power of compounding is available to anyone who actually puts money to work. Keep on building Divhut solid growth my friend.
EL recently posted…6 Creative Ways to Save and Eventually Replace Income
Hi EL,
That’s the name of the game… compounding. That can only happen if you stay invested through thick and thin, reinvest dividends and continually add fresh capital on a consistent basis. It will be an exciting month when I can post my first four digit passive income total. Thank you for commenting.