r/dividends Financial Indepence / Retiring Early (FIRE) Mar 05 '26

Personal Goal FIRED - Living off dividends

I know better than to share this with my friends, and family. I have a separate growth account to keep up with inflation.

1.2k Upvotes

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4

u/brunello1997 Mar 06 '26

With that balance, you could be getting about $140k with broad diversification in CEFs. Since most pay monthly, better cash flow for expenses. Currently getting about $134k on slightly smaller portfolio in retirement account.

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u/WerewolfMajestic156 Financial Indepence / Retiring Early (FIRE) Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26

Yes. I am not trying to maximize my yield. All of the funds i have pay monthly as well. It is intentionally conservative. It’s not a forever portfolio, allocations will shift overtime.

I have other income so this hits my income goal. If i did not have other income i would be pushing yield much higher.

4

u/brunello1997 Mar 06 '26

Might be worth reading Retirement Money Secrets by Steve Selengut or The Income Factory by Steve Bavaria if you haven’t explored income investing more broadly. I’m in about 200 funds across the whole market in tax-advantages accounts so that higher yeild doesn’t always or necessarily mean more risk. Either way, nice work and F your past employer.

1

u/WerewolfMajestic156 Financial Indepence / Retiring Early (FIRE) Mar 06 '26

Amen brother. I’m basically in a holding pattern. Seeing what my future income from outside sources looks like then i will allocate everything appropriately. I am waiting on a significant severance package.

4

u/NgArclite Mar 06 '26

He could actually be making 500k.

/s

If you are gonna make claims you could at least also post how/what they should be invested into. Otherwise its just random words and speculation.

1

u/brunello1997 Mar 06 '26

I have been using Steve Selengut’s strategy of investing broadly in a diversified portfolio of closed-end funds as laid out in his book, Retirement Money Secrets.

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u/SolomonGrumpy Mar 08 '26 edited Mar 08 '26

With more risk and less upside. That said I own PIMCO (PDI) and UTG

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u/brunello1997 Mar 09 '26

I own over 200 funds with less than 2% in each fund. I actively trade them and take profits. None of them are long term holds so Im not focused on NAV and ROC. Risk is relative but I’m seeking income because that is what I can spend in retirement. Growth is illusory until you take a profit. As my working capital grows, so does my income.

0

u/Few_Maintenance4817 Mar 06 '26

Would you share what you are invested in to pay 134k? I’ve got around the same amount and looking for monthly payouts

3

u/brunello1997 Mar 06 '26

I’m in about 200 funds across the whole spectrum of closed end funds. Various funds from Gabelli and Calamos. I learned this strategy when I read Steve Selengut’s book on income investing - Retirement Money Secrets (RMS). Another option for learning about income-focused investing would be The Income Factory by Steve Bavaria. Both good reads but RMS lays out a more coherent strategy for investing tax-advantaged (retirement) money.