The beginning 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. May 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 still continue to grow.
Looking back at the month of May it seems that we have seen a lot more of the same. Wild market gyrations with many triple digit moves in the DOW, both up and down, and a market that at one point in 2016 was looking quite ugly and is now near all time highs. What gives? I’ll tell you what gives… our consistent, reliable and predictable dividend income. Many seasoned dividend investors already know that the market and even individual stock prices are highly unpredictable and often trade irrationally. The one steady aspect of our portfolios comes from diversified dividend income that we’ll all count on one day.
With that being said, let’s take a look back at my May 2016 dividend income.
Dividend income from my taxable account totalled $247.21 up from $221.52 an increase of 11.6% from May of last year.
Dividend income from my ROTH account totalled $180.26 up from $86.38 an increase of 108.7% from this time last year.
Dividend income from my IRA account totalled $97.44 up from $12.89 from this time last year. This is a year over year increase of 655.9%.
Grand total for the month of May: $524.91 an increase of 63.6% from May 2015.
Brokerage Account
Year to date dividends: $1,428.01
| Date | Description | Symbol | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05/02/2016 | DIVIDEND:GIS | GIS | $33.78 |
| 05/06/2016 | DIVIDEND:CLX | CLX | $10.55 |
| 05/06/2016 | DIVIDEND:YUM | YUM | $26.70 |
| 05/09/2016 | DIVIDEND:APD | APD | $34.00 |
| 05/13/2016 | DIVIDEND:BCR | BCR | $0.96 |
| 05/16/2016 | DIVIDEND:PG | PG | $12.46 |
| 05/16/2016 | DIVIDEND:ABT | ABT | $14.45 |
| 05/16/2016 | DIVIDEND:CL | CL | $6.80 |
| 05/16/2016 | DIVIDEND:ABBV | ABBV | $51.97 |
| 05/20/2016 | DIVIDEND:CAT | CAT | $55.54 |
| Total: $247.21 |
ROTH Account
Year to date dividends: $656.66
| Date | Description | Symbol | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05/03/2016 | DIVIDEND:TD | TD | $73.83 |
| 05/06/2016 | DIVIDEND:YUM | YUM | $7.78 |
| 05/16/2016 | DIVIDEND:PG | PG | $7.35 |
| 05/20/2016 | DIVIDEND:CAT | CAT | $39.57 |
| 05/25/2016 | DIVIDEND:RY | RY | $51.73 |
| Total: $180.26 |
IRA Account
Year to date dividends: $228.81
| Date | Description | Symbol | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05/20/2016 | DIVIDEND:HCN | HCN | $46.67 |
| 05/24/2016 | DIVIDEND:HCP | HCP | $50.77 |
| Total: $97.44 |
Those large percentage increases in my ROTH and IRA accounts can be attributed to my relatively large Canadian bank positions and my newer health REIT holdings. Of course, over time the percentage increases will become more modest.
Looking at the figures above I cannot complain as my dividend train keeps chugging along churning out that passive income despite currency headwinds, economic headwinds, terror across the world, saber rattling from North Korea, Russian troops in Ukraine, The Nigerian delta under attack curbing the flow of oil, floods, earthquakes etc. etc. I think you get the point. There will ALWAYS be negative financial, civil, health news and more. Even during the best economic times there will always be an opinion citing concerns. The question is will you react to the headlines or stay the course?
Are any of these dividend stocks in your portfolio too? How was your May dividend income? Please let me know below.
Disclosure: Long all above
hey DivHut!
63 percent increase?! are you kidding me? 😉
awesome job! want to see this next year again here on you blog!
will write the income post of the community next week 🙂
keep up the great work!
easydividend recently posted…Einnahmen Mai 2016
Hi easydividend,
It was really nice seeing such a large jump in my year over year income. No doubt my retirement accounts have helped out a lot and will continue to for a while. Thank you for your continued support.
Good jump,maybe next year we will see a four digit number posted as monthly income.
desidividend recently posted…May Final Buys in Robinhood and loyal3
Hi desidividend,
Though I’m still a while away I’d love to average at least $1,000 a month in dividend income. That’s my next long term goal for my passive income. Thank you for commenting.
DH,
Those retirement accounts are really starting to pull their own weight. I have put a solid amount of capital into mine as well, and its great to see those results.
– Gremlin
Dividend Gremlin recently posted…May Review / June Preview, 2016
Hi DG,
Indeed. Those Canadian bank buys of the last year and a half are starting to really turn out some nice passive income. As I reinvest all my dividends, I am building the positions by several shares each year. The snowball continues to grow. As always, I appreciate your comment.
Gogogogogogo! I love seeing my online “friends” make progress towards joining me in FIRE. It is inspirational.
Financial Velociraptor recently posted…Buy Assured Guarantee (AGO) and Friday expiries
Hi FV,
Thank you for your continued support. Like you, I also love to read these updates and see where our fellow dividend bloggers stand each month. No doubt, we continue to educate and inspire one another towards FIRE and more. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Hey DivHUT that’s awesome, you continue to knock it out of the park. I like the breakdown of all the accounts for tax purposes, very smart. Good luck in June.
EL @ Moneywatch101 recently posted…Over Consuming Usually Leads to Financial Failure
Hi EL,
Thank you for your kind words. As you know, these posts are the most fun to write and share. Another month down, another new month is up. All that means is continued investing and reinvesting to further move that growing dividend snowball. Thank you for commenting.
Great stuff and great progress. Over $500 in dividend income is totally awesome.
Haven’t tallied our dividend income for May yet, will do that over the weekend. I think we should be around $1,000 again. 😀
Tawcan recently posted…20 Signs You’re Financially Stable (and 20 Signs You’re Not!)
Hi Tawcan,
As you can imagine, I’m quite pleased with my year over year progress. As long as I can put up strong double digit growth year after year I know I’m doing the right thing and will continue on my DGI path. Look forward to reading your final May tally. Any time you can put up four figures you have to pat yourself on the back. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
63 pct increase YOY and more than 500$ in dividend are decent numbers! way to go…
Our May dividend was ok, given we are not yet real DGI investors. Combined with the option premium we made 281 EUR.
amber tree recently posted…Passive Income – May 2016
Hi at,
Thank you for your kind words and continued support. These updates just give me further incentive to continue on my path and hopefully put up strong year over year growth figures each month. Congrats on your dividend total as well. 281 EUR is no small amount for passive income even if part was made via options premiums. As always, I appreciate your comment.
With the current tropical weather in Belgium, that is a lot of ice cream!
In the long run, I plan to have decent pure dividend income. My first milestone would be enough to pay ski holiday for the four of us
amber tree recently posted…Option Trader Series #1 – Investment Hunting
Hi at,
Knowing that your ice cream or family ski trip was financed with passive income makes it that much better. Eventually, all our expenses should be covered by a passive income stream.
DivHut,
Very nice progress across many fronts. Considering it was an “off month” over $500 is phenomenal. I love your consistency!
My Dividend Pipeline recently posted…First June Purchase — 3 Dimes on GM
Hi MDP,
Consistency has been my mantra for years. I’ll always invest each month no matter what’s going on in the world. If I have cash, it will be put to work. That consistency is starting to pay off as my dividend income continues to grow year over year each month. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
$500 in an off month is pretty good! Nothing to complain about there for sure. I got almost $10 in dividends this month and i started halfway through May. I am very curious towards ABT. What are your thoughts? I am waiting for a pullback but would like some outside thoughts on it.
Stefan – The Millennial Budget recently posted…Saving Strategies to Achieve Goals
Hi TMB,
Congrats on your start to collecting a passive income stream. It all starts with that first step that you have already taken. By most measures you are already ahead of many. I was quite pleased with my May totals for sure. While I do look at total dollars earned, I also pay attention to my year over year growth. The percentage increases I calculate paints a better picture of the overall direction I’m headed than just the total dollar amount coming in. ABT is a great long term stock to own. I have held it since 2007 with no plans to sell for the foreseeable future. In fact, it’s a June stock consideration of mine. Like you, I also wouldn’t mind slightly better pricing but sometimes, if decent long term value and yield is there it could be OK to pull the trigger. We’ll see if I decide to pick some up this month. As always, I appreciate your comment.
Keep it up Keith. Way to go bud! Thanks for sharing and Glad to be a part of your journey. Cheers to our success. Let us have continued Health and Wealth.
Take care and enjoy the ride.
Hi DH,
These posts really do connect us all don’t they? It’s nice to cheer one another on regarding progress and investing ideas. I’m so happy I started this blog to be able to share my results with you. As you stated, “continued Health and Wealth.” Couldn’t have said it better myself. Thank you for your continued support.
Awesome stuff DH! Big increase year over year and over $500 across all of your accounts is awesome. We own many of the same names but you have a few that I don’t own that I like. If you wait until everything is rosy again then you’re never going to invest so it’s best to just come up with a system that you can work with and stick with it. All the best!
Hi JC,
No matter how rosy things appear to be, there is always a dissenting opinion touting the inevitable crash that will happen in stocks, commodities, bonds, various rates, etc. You are correct, that waiting is not a strategy which is why I’ll continue to make my monthly buy(s) as I have for years. I guess being consistent with all my buys gave me the passive income results I see today. Thank you for your support and sharing your thoughts.
DivHut,
H O L Y CRAP! What an amazing growth rate and like you said – the Canadian banks + Health care REITs definitely add a punch to the month of income. Just awesome, congratulations and definitely take a deep breath to see how far you’ve come already. Killing it!
-Lanny
Dividend Diplomats recently posted…Bert’s May 2016 Dividend Income Summary
Hi DD,
Always happy to receive your comment of support and enthusiasm. These results are just further proof that consistent buys in quality companies is the best way to put up solid year over year growth each month. The Canadian banks, being relatively large in my portfolio are really starting to pull their own weight without much contribution. As always, I appreciate your comment.
Awesome yoy growth of over 60%, DH! I own many of these companies and in good company. The month of May was great for me as well, crossing $1K for the first time. Keep it going bud.
Race2Retirement recently posted…Dividend Income Update – May 2016
Hi R2R,
The race is definitely on! Happy to be a fellow shareholder with you in many of these great companies and these results just keep pushing me along my own dividend path. Congrats on your first four digit crossing. I still don’t understand why more people don’t jump aboard this method of long term investing. Guess it’s too “boring” for some. Thank you for commenting.
Congrats Kieth. Your gains are well deserved. Your dividends are really taking off. Nice work.
Investment Hunting recently posted…Monthly Dividend Income – May 2016
Hi IH,
Thank you for your kind words and continued support. It’s always nice to report strong year over year growth. It just reaffirms what I’m trying to create for my future. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
DivHut
Great dividend income for May and also over 60% Increase YoY that is great progress.
For me May Is not such a huge dividend income, but hey I’ve traveled India for the first time in my life , and I’ve acomplished one of my biggest dreams since I was a child.
divorcedff recently posted…March – April 2016 Review
Hi divorcedff,
Always happy to hear from you. I was quite pleased to see my year over year growth jump by as much as it did. These results are always exciting to post as it highlights what every dividend income investor is trying to achieve. I’m excited to hear that you achieved a childhood dream of yours by visiting India. For me, travel is the only thing I’ll happily spend on as you are buying experiences and not things. You are creating memories for a lifetime that will not diminish. Life is not only about money, income, dividends, etc. Life is more about time and experiences in my opinion which is why I also love to travel and visit all over the world. I think I mentioned that I was in Israel in 2012. It was an amazing trip. Thank you for your support and sharing your thoughts.
Rock on DivHut,
$524.91 is insane. Do you know how much extra beer money that is? Of course you do, but let’s not do that, let’s invest in more dividends! Keep up the awesome work do. I’m only $499 behind you, but I’m catching up! 😉
Wallet Squirrel recently posted…Income Report – May, 2016
Hi WS,
That’s a lot of extra beer 🙂 But I do know that it’s also a sum that can pay for many utilities like Internet, electricity, gas and more. Of course, this is the aim of every long term dividend investor, complete FI. Keep it moving on your end. It’s all about taking those first steps and building upon your purchases and watching your year over year income continually rise. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Really nice increase Keith, your timely purchases are working hard for you. I love your re-affirming the trifecta of growth, it’s an inspiring and unstoppable force.
Which of your new purchases are you happiest about?
Tristan
Dividendsdownunder recently posted…Share Purchase: Invocare (ASX:IVC)
Hi Dividendsdownunder,
There’s no denying the trifecta power of dividend growth. If you can achieve all three aspects for years on end, you’ll be creating a serious “money machine” spitting out an ever growing passive income stream for life. As you stated, “…it’s an inspiring and unstoppable force,” and the results speak for themselves with these monthly updates. Regarding some of my newest purchases that worked out well in recent months, I’d say ADM was probably the biggest winner. Of course, it doesn’t really matter what happens to a stock price right after I buy as I am holding for a period measured in decades and near term fluctuations are an almost certainty and don’t really affect my decision to buy or sell. As long as those dividends continue to be paid out, I’ll be a happy investor. As always, I appreciate your comment.
Hi DH,
Congrats on a great month – >60% over last year is awesome and will help the snowball roll faster each quarter!
I like the diverse mix of solid companies in your portfolio; I tend to downplay the Financial sector in my portfolio as it always seems to be one of the more problematic sectors. I understand that the Canadian banks have tighter regulations however and they are doing well for you.
I think that June is going to be a great monthly report for you the way you’re headed!
Best wishes,
-DL
Dividend Life recently posted…May 2016 – Income Fund update
Hi DL,
Thank you for your continued support. As you can imagine I was very happy to see my May income year over year increase so significantly. Though a lot of that occurred because of my Canadian banks I still think they are good long term investments. Every sector can be problematic at times. It’s just the ebbs and flows of business. Look at what happened to the energy sector the last two years. Various commodity backed sectors too such as metals or even grains can affect a whole group of stocks. Nothing is guaranteed when investing. Just stay diversified, look for sustainable yields and be patient. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Isn’t it great to see that all these little amounts add up to a very substantial monthly dividend income! Great month DivHut, congrats.
Team CF recently posted…May 2016 Cheesy Index
Hi TCF,
You said it. I think many people who are not dividend investors are quick to dismiss the relatively small amounts of income from each stock but when the sum of all those little payments are added up it becomes a substantial amount. Thank you for commenting.
Awesome, great work. Fantastic to see fellow investors doing so well. Feels like we’re all in it together!
Hi SLM,
It sure does. Our community is very supportive and watching the progress made by every passive income investor out there just helps push each of us along a little further. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your kind words.
$500 is a pretty impressive amount. There are some people who can live on that amount each month. I’m not one of them, but it would still pay for a nice percentage of most people’s bills.
Hi Chris,
The key is to keep building that year over income each month and eventually get that passive income to cover all or almost all our monthly expenses. Like you said, $500 is a nice chunk of change but still does not cover all my monthly expenses. My long term goal is to have my passive income cover rent each month. Knowing you’ll have a roof over your head takes a lot of pressure off your active income needs. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Great mix of companies there DH! I can’t wait to be earning over $500 in dividends in any month. Congrats, and I hope to be posting some tremendous growth rates like yours soon too.
Have a great weekend,
Chad
Chad @ Our Dime Our Time recently posted…Dividend Income Update – May 2016
Hi ODOT,
Thank you for your continued support. In time, you’ll be reaching your own milestones and records for dividend income. It all starts with that first investment and the subsequent building that stems from there. Unlike most dividend investors online, I reinvest all my dividends automatically rather than take it as cash. In that way, compounding rates occur instantly and faster as I rarely have cash sitting on the sidelines. Dividends are put to use immediately and enhances year over year growth rates. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
HI DivHut,
congratulations! It`s always nice to read about your progress.
I also had a wonderful month: for the first time in 2016 I received more than 1.000€ – about 1.125$.
But: May is one of my strongest month as many German companies are paying their dividend in April, May or June.
Have a good weekend
rickrack
Hi rickrack,
Long time no comment 🙂 Thank you for your kind words about my dividend income progress. No complaints from my end as I’m happy to put up those solid year over year results. Congrats to your amazing milestone as well. You have earned a very healthy sum of passive income. As always, I appreciate your comment.
63.6% increase is amazing. I started tracking my dividend income this year and don’t really know my YTY comparison. I exactly know when I receive my dividend payments but always get excited when I receive dividend payment e-mails from my brokerage firm.
I have ABBV and CAT in my portfolio and will increase my positions at any weakness.
Hi ERi2019,
May was a big month as far as year over year increases go. Of course, not every month will be that high. But it’s OK. As long as I can post any year over year gain I know I’m headed in the right direction. I think it’s fun but also important to track your year over year numbers so you can monitor your progress. It’s really the only way you can actually see and measure growth. I like ABBV and CAT. I added to my ABBV and ABT not long ago and my CAT when it was much weaker earlier in the year. Not too excited about CAT’s payout ratio but still seems OK in the near term. Thank you for commenting.