The Best Dividend Mutual Funds | Bankrate (2024)

The appeal of the best dividend mutual funds should be clear: They offer a sizable dividend today, and they can grow in the future, helping investors win both ways. Plus, they offer other benefits, including lower risk through diversification. So the best dividend mutual funds are an attractive prospect for any investor, but especially for retirees, who need current income today but also growth for tomorrow, so that they don’t outlive their assets.

Here are the best dividend mutual funds and what you need to watch out for as you invest. (Here are the best dividend ETFs, if you’re looking for that kind of fund.)

5 things to watch in a dividend mutual fund

It’s important to pay attention to a number of factors when you’re selecting a dividend mutual fund, and while the size of the dividend is important, it’s not the only criterion you should use.

  • Dividend yield: While it might be tempting to screen the mutual fund universe for the highest yields and just pick those, you’re likely to wind up in trouble if you go this route. The highest yields are likely to evaporate, often because the fund’s investment strategy won’t be in favor over a longer period. A high-yield can then be a bad sign.
  • Dividend growth rate: Closely related to the yield, the fund’s dividend growth rate will show you how fast that payout has risen over time. Generally, the higher, the better. But there’s usually a trade-off between the size of the dividend and how fast it grows. That is, a lower-yielding fund may often grow its dividend faster than a higher-yielding fund.
  • Long-term returns: A fund’s long-term returns – five- and ten-year numbers – are the best gauge to the sustainability of its strategy. Look for an average annual return that far outpaces the dividend yield. Otherwise, you’re sacrificing a lot of potential growth for income today. Or worse, your investment is losing money so you can get the dividend.
  • Expense ratio: The fund’s expense ratio is how much you’ll pay to own it each year as a percentage of your total investment. You’ll pay this fee whether you’re making money in the fund or not, and so it’s better to minimize it, especially since you can find attractive dividend mutual funds without paying a high expense ratio. An expense ratio over 0.5 percent – a cost of $50 per $10,000 invested – is the pivot point from reasonably priced.
  • Holdings: Look at the fund’s holdings to see what kind of stocks it owns: high-quality blue chip stocks or unknown companies in an industry with suspiciously high yields? While diversification can protect you from company-specific risks, it won’t protect you if the fund owns only stocks from a dubious industrial sector.

These factors can help steer you away from dividend funds that have an unsustainably high yield today and without a solid long-term track record. Then you let your dividends roll in and use them to fund your lifestyle – a great passive investment – or reinvest them for more gains.

Top dividend mutual funds

  • Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Admiral Shares (VDADX)
  • T. Rowe Price Dividend Growth Fund (PRDGX)
  • Vanguard Dividend Growth Investor Shares (VDIGX)
  • Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Admiral Shares (VHYAX)
  • Vanguard Equity-Income Investor Shares (VEIPX)

Below are some of the top dividend mutual funds with attractive long-term returns, growing payouts, reasonable expenses and no sales load. (Data from Morningstar as of May 24, 2023.)

Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Admiral Shares (VDADX)

This index fund tracks the S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index, a collection of primarily large-cap growth stocks and value stocks that have the ability to raise their dividends over time.

Dividend yield: 1.9%
5-year return: 10.5%
Expense ratio: 0.08%

T. Rowe Price Dividend Growth Fund (PRDGX)

This actively managed fund looks for companies with sustainable above-trend growth in sales and earnings that could allow them to raise their dividends in the future. The fund’s holdings are mostly in large-cap and mid-cap stocks.

Dividend yield: 1.1%
5-year return: 10.8%
Expense ratio: 0.64%

Vanguard Dividend Growth Investor Shares (VDIGX)

This fund invests in high-quality companies that can deliver strong total returns over time due to strong earnings growth and their ability to grow their dividends. Holdings typically include large-cap stocks, and the fund targets a diversified weighting across industries.

Dividend yield: 1.6%
5-year return: 11.0%
Expense ratio: 0.27%

Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Admiral Shares (VHYAX)

This passively managed tracks the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index, which includes companies that pay above-average dividends. The fund invests primarily in large-cap value stocks.

Dividend yield: 3.1%
3-year return: 13.8%
Expense ratio: 0.08%

Vanguard Equity-Income Investor Shares (VEIPX)

This actively managed fund invests in undervalued stocks that pay above-average dividends, and its holdings include mid-cap and large-cap value stocks. This fund is also available with a lower expense ratio (but a much higher minimum investment) in the Admiral Shares class under the symbol VEIRX.

Dividend yield: 2.8%
5-year return: 8.2%
Expense ratio: 0.28%

Bottom line

Dividends are a key source for investors’ returns over time, and combine them with a rising fund price, and you have a powerful 1-2 combo that can build wealth for decades with lower risk.

The Best Dividend Mutual Funds | Bankrate (2024)

FAQs

The Best Dividend Mutual Funds | Bankrate? ›

Dividend-paying Stocks

Shares of public companies that split profits with shareholders by paying cash dividends yield between 2% and 6% a year. With that in mind, putting $250,000 into low-yielding dividend stocks or $83,333 into high-yielding shares will get your $500 a month.

How do I make $500 a month in dividends? ›

Dividend-paying Stocks

Shares of public companies that split profits with shareholders by paying cash dividends yield between 2% and 6% a year. With that in mind, putting $250,000 into low-yielding dividend stocks or $83,333 into high-yielding shares will get your $500 a month.

How to make $1,000 a month in dividends? ›

Look for $12,000 Per Year in Dividends

To make $1,000 per month in dividends, it's better to think in annual terms. Companies list their average yield on an annual basis, not based on monthly averages. So you can make much more sense of how much you might earn if you build your numbers around annual goals as well.

What are the top 10 dividend stocks to buy? ›

10 Best Dividend Stocks Today
  • Cisco CSCO.
  • Comcast CMCSA.
  • Medtronic MDT.
  • Gilead Sciences GILD.
  • Duke Energy DUK.
  • Blackstone BX.
  • Truist Financial TFC.
  • Phillips 66 PSX.
May 18, 2023

What are the 5 highest dividend-paying stocks? ›

Comparison Results
NamePricePrice Change
IBM International Business Machines$136.42$1.12 (0.83%) After 0.16%
CVX Chevron$157.33$1.53 (-0.96%) After 0.02%
EOG EOG Resources$113.92$2.33 (-2%) After 0.16%
ET Energy Transfer$12.61$0.13 (-1.02%) After 0.08%
5 more rows

How much money do you need to make $50000 a year off dividends? ›

According to Forbes, they typically pay measly yields of around 1.5%, which means you would need about $4 million to earn $50,000 a year in dividend payouts.

How much do I need to invest to make $300 a month in dividends? ›

These passive-income powerhouses average a 9.73% yield, which means an initial investment of $37,000, split equally, would net you $300/month in dividend income.

How much do you need to make $100000 in dividends? ›

The S&P 500 offers a current dividend yield of 1.6% and has delivered an average of 2.34%. That means if you want to generate $100,000 in annual passive income from a vanilla index fund, you would need $4,273,504 in assets ($100,000 divided by 2.34%).

How to make $3,000 a month in dividends? ›

In order to make $3000 a month in dividends, you'll need to invest approximately $1,200,000 in dividend stocks. The exact amount will depend on the dividend yields for the stocks you buy for your portfolio. Take a closer look at your budget and decide how much money you can set aside each month to grow your portfolio.

What is the highest dividend ETF? ›

Top 100 Highest Dividend Yield ETFs
SymbolNameDividend Yield
FLRUFranklin FTSE Russia ETF24696.43%
SOGUAXS Short De-SPAC Daily ETF82.99%
PYPTAXS 1.5X PYPL Bull Daily ETF56.90%
KBAKraneShares Bosera MSCI China A 50 Connect Index ETF53.68%
91 more rows

What are the 3 dividend stocks to buy and hold forever? ›

7 Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever
StockForward Dividend yield
Cisco Systems Inc. (ticker: CSCO)3.2%
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ)7.3%
Honeywell International Inc. (HON)2.2%
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS)3.1%
3 more rows

Is Coca-Cola a good dividend stock? ›

Coca-Coca is a classic Dividend King. It's completely committed to its dividend and raised it annually for more than 60 consecutive years. It uses its large stockpile of cash to fund the dividend under any circ*mstances, and it's one of the most reliable dividend stocks money can buy.

Who gets highest dividend? ›

List of Top Highest Dividend Paying Stocks In India 2023
CompanyDividend %Dividend
Taparia Tools Ltd.77577.5
Steel Authority of India Ltd.101
Styrenix Performance Materials Ltd.80080
Geojit Financial Services Ltd.3003
17 more rows
Apr 25, 2023

Do you pay taxes on dividends? ›

Dividends can be classified either as ordinary or qualified. Whereas ordinary dividends are taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividends that meet certain requirements are taxed at lower capital gain rates.

What is a good dividend yield? ›

What Is a Good Dividend Yield? Yields from 2% to 6% are generally considered to be a good dividend yield, but there are plenty of factors to consider when deciding if a stock's yield makes it a good investment. Your own investment goals should also play a big role in deciding what a good dividend yield is for you.

How much taxes do you pay on dividends? ›

Qualified dividends are taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20%, depending on your income level and tax filing status. Ordinary (nonqualified) dividends and taxable distributions are taxed at your marginal income tax rate, which is determined by your taxable earnings.

Can you live off dividends of $1 million dollars? ›

If your portfolio produced an average dividend yield of 4%, a nest egg of $1 million would generate $40,000 per year in dividend payments. That might be enough for you to cover expenses in a very low cost of living area with a frugal lifestyle, but for many people, it's not enough.

Can you live off of dividends? ›

To live off of dividend income alone, you need to receive enough dividend payments each year to cover your expenses. Once you know how much income you need to cover your expenses, you can divide that by the average dividend yield of your portfolio to get a rough estimate of how much you need to invest.

How much money do you need to retire with $200000 a year income? ›

Using the 4% retirement rule as a starting point, if you want $200,000 per year in retirement by age 65, you will need $5 million saved up.

How much will I have if I invest $500 a month for 10 years? ›

If you invested $500 a month for 10 years and earned a 4% rate of return, you'd have $73,625 today. If you invested $500 a month for 10 years and earned a 6% rate of return, you'd have $81,940 today.

How much will I have if I invest $500 a month for 20 years? ›

Length of Investment

For example, an investor who holds their portfolio for 10 years will put $60,000 into it (10 years of investing x 12 months per year x $500 per month), while an investor who holds the same portfolio for 20 years will contribute $120,000 worth of capital.

How many dividend stocks should you own? ›

In a general opinion, even owning somewhere between 20 and 60 stocks can provide enough balance between diversification, trading costs, and time devoted to research. But it's highly important to remember that every individual investor has their own opinions over diversifying risks based on their tolerance.

How to invest $100 000 to make $1 million? ›

Invest $400 per month for 20 years

If you're earning a 10% average annual return and investing $400 per month, you'd be able to go from $100,000 to $1 million in savings in just over 20 years. Again, if your actual average returns are higher or lower than 10% per year, that will affect your timeline.

How much does 500K pay in dividends? ›

A 7.6% dividend yield is enough to pay you $38,000 a year on just $500K invested, and you wouldn't have to draw a single penny of your principal to get that cash stream.

How much dividend income from 500K? ›

A $500K nest egg will create $38,000 in annual income (better than a million bucks in PFE!). Or $200K will generate $15,200 in yearly dividend income. You get the idea.

How to get $5,000 in dividends a month? ›

In order to make $5000 a month in dividends, you'll need to invest approximately $2,000,000 in dividend stocks. The exact amount will depend on the dividend yields for the stocks you buy for your portfolio. Take a closer look at your budget and decide how much money you can set aside each month to grow your portfolio.

How much to make a million in dividends? ›

How Much Does A Million-Dollar Stock Portfolio Pay In Dividends? First of all, a million-dollar dividend portfolio will typically pay between $30,000 and $50,000 in dividends each year. Or, between $2,500 and $4,167 in dividends per month.

How to make 5k a month passive income? ›

Building passive income takes time and effort, and it's important to remain patient and persistent.
  1. Invest in Dividend-Paying Stocks:
  2. Rental Properties:
  3. Peer-to-Peer Lending:
  4. Create and Sell Digital Products:
  5. Invest in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs):
  6. High-Yield Savings Accounts and Certificates of Deposit (CDs):
May 17, 2023

Which Vanguard funds pay the highest dividends? ›

Vanguard Dividend ETFs Paying The Highest Dividends
  • High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM)
  • Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG)
  • International High Dividend Yield ETF (VYMI)
  • Utilities ETF (VPU)
  • Real Estate ETF (VNQ)

What are the best monthly dividend paying mutual funds? ›

  • BOI AXA Mid and Small Cap Equity and Debt Fund.
  • HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund.
  • ICICI Prudential Multi-Asset Fund.
  • Kotak Equity Hybrid Fund.
  • UTI Hybrid Equity Fund.
  • Nippon India Equity Hybrid Fund.
7 days ago

What is the highest dividend yield in the US? ›

If you're looking for recurring dividends, Microsoft ($MSFT) is the leader, having paid US$18.13b in the same period. Judging by the annual dividend yield (estimated forward), the highest dividend-paying U.S. stock is Zim Integrated Shipping Services ($ZIM), with a dividend yield of 96.14%.

What is the safest highest paying dividend stock? ›

Top 25 High Dividend Stocks
TickerNameDividend Safety
VZVerizonSafe
TAT&TSafe
ENBEnbridgeSafe
MAINMain Street CapitalSafe
6 more rows
May 5, 2023

What's the best dividend stocks to buy right now? ›

10 Best Dividend Stocks To Buy Now
Dividend ETFsDividend Yield
Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT)2.7%
Merck & Company, Inc. (MRK)2.6%
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (APD)2.6%
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP)2.4%
6 more rows
Jun 1, 2023

What is Best Buy yearly dividend? ›

BBY pays a dividend of $0.92 per share. BBY's annual dividend yield is 4.72%. When is Best Buy Co ex-dividend date? Best Buy Co's upcoming ex-dividend date is on Jun 13, 2023.

Is co*ke or Pepsi a better dividend stock? ›

The big dividend number

That makes sense in many ways, since the yield represents a direct cash return on an investment. From this perspective, the Coca-Cola-versus-PepsiCo comparison is pretty simple. Coca-Cola's nearly-3.1% yield easily beats out the 2.6% on offer from PepsiCo.

Who pays higher dividend co*ke or Pepsi? ›

Taking into consideration both PepsiCo's lower Payout Ratio and its higher Dividend Growth Rate [CAGR] over the past 5 years when compared to Coca-Cola, we identify strong indicators that PepsiCo is the slightly more attractive pick for Dividend Income and Dividend Growth Investors.

What is the dividend paid by Coca-Cola to Warren Buffett? ›

Berkshire's dividend income from Coca-Cola

Berkshire owns 400 million shares of Coca-Cola stock. Consequently, the $1.76 per share annual dividend earns new buyers a cash return of around 2.9%, well above the 1.7% return of the S&P 500. But both are a pittance of Berkshire's yield in Coca-Cola.

Can you become a millionaire from dividend stocks? ›

Can an investor really get rich from dividends? The short answer is “yes”. With a high savings rate, robust investment returns, and a long enough time horizon, this will lead to surprising wealth in the long run. For many investors who are just starting out, this may seem like an unrealistic pipe dream.

What stocks pay 6 or more in dividends? ›

Some of the best dividend stocks paying over 6% include AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), and Pioneer Natural Resources Company (NYSE:PXD).

Which company will give dividend in 2023? ›

Dividends Declared
COMPANY NAMEDIVIDENDDATE
Crest VenturesFinal29-05-2023
Tega IndustriesFinal30-05-2023
Apollo HospitalFinal30-05-2023
Godawari PowerFinal22-05-2023
46 more rows

How do I avoid paying tax on dividends? ›

Options include owning dividend-paying stocks in a tax-advantaged retirement account or 529 plan. You can also avoid paying capital gains tax altogether on certain dividend-paying stocks if your income is low enough. A financial advisor can help you employ dividend investing in your portfolio.

Are dividends taxed twice? ›

Double taxation refers to the fact that dividends are taxed twice. First, the dividends distributed by the corporation are profits (part of the business net income) and are not deductible. So the corporation pays corporate income tax on profits distributed to shareholders.

How do I get tax free dividends? ›

For 2022, qualified dividends may be taxed at 0% if your taxable income falls below:
  1. $41,676 for those filing single or married filing separately,
  2. $55,801 for head of household filers, or.
  3. $83,351 for married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er) filing status.
May 15, 2023

Which states tax dividend income? ›

New Hampshire exclusively taxes dividend and interest income while Washington only taxes capital gains income. Seven states levy no individual income tax at all.

Do you pay taxes on Social Security benefits? ›

Some of you have to pay federal income taxes on your Social Security benefits. This usually happens only if you have other substantial income in addition to your benefits (such as wages, self-employment, interest, dividends and other taxable income that must be reported on your tax return).

Are all dividends taxed at 15%? ›

What is the dividend tax rate? The tax rate on qualified dividends is 0%, 15% or 20%, depending on your taxable income and filing status. The tax rate on nonqualified dividends is the same as your regular income tax bracket. In both cases, people in higher tax brackets pay a higher dividend tax rate.

How much will I have if I invest $500 a month for 15 years? ›

Investing for your financial goals is much like the story of the tortoise and the hare. The tortoise is slow but determined to take step after step to ultimately achieve his goal. The hare is fast and snickers at the tortoise's speed.

How to make $500 a month passive income? ›

To generate $500 a month in passive income you may need to invest between $83,333 and $250,000, depending on the asset and investment type you select. In addition to yield, you'll want to consider safety, liquidity and convenience when selecting the investments you'll employ to provide monthly passive income.

How much invested to make $500 in dividends? ›

Given its dividend, investors would need 169 shares to hit $500 in annual dividend income. At Realty Income's current share price, that's a total investment of $10,350.

How much is $100 dollars every month for 5 years? ›

You plan to invest $100 per month for five years and expect a 6% return. In this case, you would contribute $6,000 over your investment timeline. At the end of the term, your portfolio would be worth $6,949. With that, your portfolio would earn around $950 in returns during your five years of contributions.

How much to invest monthly to reach $1 million in 10 years? ›

In order to hit your goal of $1 million in 10 years, SmartAsset's savings calculator estimates that you would need to save around $7,900 per month. This is if you're just putting your money into a high-yield savings account with an average annual percentage yield (APY) of 1.10%.

What will $10,000 be worth in 20 years? ›

With that, you could expect your $10,000 investment to grow to $34,000 in 20 years.

How much is $10,000 invested in Apple 20 years ago? ›

As a result, $10,000 in AAPL stock purchased 20 years ago would be worth about $7.51 million today, assuming reinvested dividends.

How much will $200 K be worth in 10 years? ›

After 10 years: $96,049.

What if I invest $20,000 a month for 10 years? ›

If an investor invests 20,000 per month for 10 years at the interest rate of 12%, he will be able to generate INR 47 lakh, i.e., more than double the amount he earned in the first five years. In addition, the earnings in 15 years will double the income that an investor had generated in the first 10 years.

How to passively make $2,000 a month? ›

  1. Become a Blogger and earn with affiliate marketing. ...
  2. Offer Proofreading Services as a side hustle from home. ...
  3. Complete paid online surveys for money. ...
  4. Create Graphic Designs from Home as a Freelancer. ...
  5. Earn money by testing apps and websites. ...
  6. Transcribe videos, phone calls, and other recordings from home.
Jun 6, 2023

How to make $1,000 a day in passive income? ›

How To Make $1,000 A Day
  1. Make Money Blogging. Out of all the ways to make $1,000 a day, making money with a blog has to be my favorite. ...
  2. Start An Ecommerce Business. ...
  3. Start A Service-Based Business. ...
  4. Day-Trading Stocks. ...
  5. Retail Arbitrage. ...
  6. Passive Income Rentals. ...
  7. Use Geo-Arbitrage. ...
  8. Crypto Trading.
Mar 19, 2023

How to make $2,000 a month side hustle? ›

How Can I Make an Extra $2,000 a Month? 8 Easy Ways
  1. Freelancing.
  2. Online Tutoring.
  3. Virtual Assistant.
  4. Blogging.
  5. Delivery Driving.
  6. Dog Walking.
  7. Rent Out Your Place.
  8. Photography.
Apr 28, 2023

How much money do I need to live off dividends? ›

The S&P 500 offers a current dividend yield of 1.6% and has delivered an average of 2.34%. That means if you want to generate $100,000 in annual passive income from a vanilla index fund, you would need $4,273,504 in assets ($100,000 divided by 2.34%).

What is the best way to build dividend income? ›

There are a few different ways that you can start a dividend portfolio. One way is to invest in 10 different stocks, which can be a mix of large and small companies. Another way is to invest in a balanced mix of stocks and ETFs. And yet another way is to invest in fractional shares of stocks.

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