I started writing this blog and then the bottom fell out of the market. When I saw this happening I held off on publishing because when I see an irrational move in the markets that is an opportunity to buy which would have made this blog inaccurate the moment it was published. So now I have created a revised version of my original blog but it was worth the wait.

When I decided to start this portfolio in April the original intent was to only use money earned through the blog via affiliate links and advertising (for which we still have not received a penny). Since that time some things have changed and we started work camping and earning some extra money so I made a small modification to add some of this money to the portfolio as well. It’s money we didn’t plan for in our budget and it’s only temporary income so why not put some of it to work? Our work camping gig ends at the end of August and when that time comes we will go back to the original goal of only using money earned frm the blog.

With this modification however we have been able to grow this account to about $5,500 with an average dividend yield of 4.30% which will generate annual forward dividens of about $236. This is a significant increase over the last time I gave an update for this account in our May Financial Update blog. Additionally since that update the DRIP has started to take effect as we have earned and reinvested $18.11 in June and July. Sure this isn’t alot but everything starts out small and grows from there.

As of now our dividend portfolio is only 0.3% of our total portfolio so there is no risk to our big picture by holding some individual stocks. Especially when those stocks are mostly high quality companies that are not going anywhere.

Here is the breakdown of our current portfolio:

Kellogg (K) = 2 Shares

General Mills (GIS) = 5 Shares

Kimberly-Clark (KMB) = 2 Shares

Coca-Cola (KO) = 2.016 Shares

Altria Group (MO) = 8.036 Shares

AT&T Inc. (T) = 9 Shares

Southern Company (SO) = 2.01 Shares

AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) = 7 Shares

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) = 5 Shares

Realty Income Corp. (O) = 2.014 Shares

3M (MMM) = 3 Shares

Dow Inc. (DOW) = 5.021 Shares

Iron Mountain Inc. (IRM) = 10.073 Shares

Arbor Realty Trust (ABR) = 2 Shares

Black Hills Corp. (BKH) = 2 Shares

Medical Properties Trust (MPW) = 5.042 Shares

International Business Machines (IBM) = 3 Shares

SpartanNash Co. (SPTN) = 6.062 Shares

As you can see this is really just a who’s who of quality dividend paying stocks. I don’t feel like there is really anything speculative about it or any one compay that could cause the portfolio harm. You can see the stocks we have received and reinvested dividends from because they have fractional shares so we have only scratched the surface so far.

I don’t try to time the markets and run that fools arrand so our entry point is whereever I feel the stock is fairly valued. We are in this for the long haul so if the price of any stock we own happens to go down from our original entry point I will average down with it if nothing has fundamentaly changed. After all if I felt the price I paid was already fair then the lower price is even better.

So ther you have it, this is our dividend portfolio in a nutshell. It has been alot of fun to watch it grow and even more fun watching the reinvestments on each stocks distribution day.

If you have a favorite dividend paying stock or want to provide some feedback on our portfolio let it rip in the comments below. Also, don’t forget to follow us on social media for events as they happen.

Thank you for reading…………………

Joe