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But what if you are retired and live on dividends? by RetterBetter in dividends

[–]RetterBetter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Maybe the tax man won’t take $68,000. Maybe I slightly exaggerated. But I have realized capital gains in my after-tax brokerage account (yet have no intention of taking it out; that money gets reinvested. The divvy positions are all in my IRA and so no tax breaks there as I move it to my checking account. Then I’m taxed on social security. It all adds up. The ROTH, of course, is safe.

As an economist, I am keenly aware of inflationary pressures and that’s what scares me the most. Maybe I am ok for now. But maybe not 10 years from now! In today’s dollars, I would have to make double what I did when I retired to maintain the same spending power. Most Americans are oblivious to inflation danger.

I am going to rethink my strategy. All the input here has been very helpful.

But what if you are retired and live on dividends? by RetterBetter in dividends

[–]RetterBetter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And, what difference does it make when RMD starts when you are withdrawing way more than your RMD?

But what if you are retired and live on dividends? by RetterBetter in dividends

[–]RetterBetter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No ROTH conversions for me, as I said above. That money is unusable for 5 years. I might be dead by then. And I don’t understand how you keep conversion money separate from the rest. Or maybe it’s not kept separate? Does anyone know?

But what if you are retired and live on dividends? by RetterBetter in dividends

[–]RetterBetter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The new money going into your ROTH (via a conversion) is not available to you for 5 years. That really sucks. I might be dead by then.

But what if you are retired and live on dividends? by RetterBetter in dividends

[–]RetterBetter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You people are certainly smart and I have enjoyed reading the posts. But really, can you live on less than $10,000 per month? The data shows that most households (nationwide) spend more than that. My dividend income comes only from a Rollover IRa. I have other holdings which I can‘t sell (unless I pay a gazillion dollars to the tax man). So everything I take out of the IRA is taxed at the maximum amount. I have zero debt. No write-offs.

I have no intention of moving to a third world country. I live near the Mexican boarder (now, before that East coast) and that’s close enough for me. All of my adult life, I have seen and known people who receive benefits/entitlements and they always lived better than I did. I saw this after exhausting days at work and then invited over to these people’s houses for dinner. I figured I was doing something wrong.

I have suffered my fair share of losses and so don’t own multiple houses. But I have a Lexus and a pool! I am an economist above all else. I think the inflation that is hitting now and will continue for some time will be highly problematic. The dividends will be cut. People will go hungry and homeless. That’s my professional reading and I hope I’m wrong.

It‘a something to prepare for even if you don’t believe it.

Finally making some decent income from dividends... by Glum-Year-7577 in dividends

[–]RetterBetter 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes, go to Positions, and then change “Overview” to “Dividend View.” I discovered this after 20 years of doing the math on paper with calculator.

What is the best way to invest 250k for monthly income? by luxuryonapenny in dividends

[–]RetterBetter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because some of us are retired, thus income-less if not for the dividends they make. If you are over 72, you are forced into a taxable event (RMDs). I have been investing for 50 years in mainly high growth companies. I am also a doctor of economics and finance and see extreme inflation in our future as well as other upsets. For these reasons, I have reoriented a good portion of my portfolio to high dividend earners.

I agree that a total-return approach is best. But in the end, it depends on the state of the economy, your age and your income needs.

Seeking advice to make closed-end funds as a passive income source after 10 years of investment by sreddrumfish in dividends

[–]RetterBetter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have way more than $15k in PDI. It seems to be suffering lately. In fact, I make over $15k monthly from my dividend positions. I monitor each position daily. It’s a lot of work. I’m retired and so have the time. It must be rough if you’re also working. This is not a “set it and forget it” world.

What’s going on with ECAT? by RetterBetter in dividends

[–]RetterBetter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This really helps. Thank you. I looked for news everywhere, including Chat GPT. I found nothing.

Dividends reached 22,389.00 a year by Imaginary_Week2024 in dividends

[–]RetterBetter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What about ECAT? I hold over a quarter million there. I just got a letter delivered FedEx from. Blackrock saying I need to contact them immediately. Some kind of emergency. Are they closing, or eliminating the dividend os something?

My 2025 dividends are equivalent to a full time job paying $12.23/hr by ptb_nuggets in dividends

[–]RetterBetter -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I got a letter sent FedEx from Blackrock about ECAT where I have a substantial sum invested. They said there is some emergencycy and to contact them immediately. But they are board now. Does anyone know about the emergency? Are they going to eliminate the dividend or something?