How many dividend ETFs should I invest in?
Experts agree that for most personal investors, a portfolio comprising 5 to 10 ETFs is perfect in terms of diversification.
However, it's important to balance diversification and complexity. Holding too many ETFs can limit gains and make it harder to manage, while holding too few can increase risk. Aim for around 10 to 20 diversified ETFs that align with your goals and risk tolerance.
Can you live off ETF dividends? While it is possible to live off ETF dividends, you'll need to do some careful planning to make it happen. You'll need to balance how much income your investments bring in, and how much you spend.
Another benefit of dividend ETFs is the potential for long-term capital appreciation. Many dividend-paying companies are known for their ability to weather market fluctuations and maintain steady growth over time.
Generally speaking, fewer than 10 ETFs are likely enough to diversify your portfolio, but this will vary depending on your financial goals, ranging from retirement savings to income generation.
How to build an optimally diversified portfolio? Experts agree that for most personal investors, a portfolio comprising 5 to 10 ETFs is perfect in terms of diversification.
A leveraged ETF uses derivative contracts to magnify the daily gains of an index or benchmark. These funds can offer high returns, but they also come with high risk and expenses. Funds that offer 3x leverage are particularly risky because they require higher leverage to achieve their returns.
For example, say I need to earn $50,000 a year to live comfortably and my average dividend yield is 5%. So, I would need to own $50,000 / 0.05 = $1 million worth of shares to meet my income needs.
Historically, the stock market has an average annual rate of return between 10–12%. So if your $1 million is invested in good growth stock mutual funds, that means you could potentially live off of $100,000 to $120,000 each year without ever touching your one-million-dollar goose.
Dividend ETFs give you the opportunity to invest in multiple companies at once, offering more diversification than individual stocks. They can be a good way to reap healthy dividend payments from established companies, and add income to your portfolio.
What are the downsides of dividend ETF?
Cons. No guarantee of future dividends. Stock price declines may offset yield. Dividends are taxed in the year they are distributed to shareholders.
| Symbol | Name | Dividend Yield |
|---|---|---|
| QRMI | Global X NASDAQ 100 Risk Managed Income ETF | 12.13% |
| YYY | Amplify High Income ETF | 12.00% |
| SDIV | Global X SuperDividend ETF | 11.94% |
| KBWD | Invesco KBW High Dividend Yield Financial ETF | 11.91% |
- VanEck BDC Income ETF (BIZD)
- PGIM Floating Rate Income ETF (PFRL)
- JP Morgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPQ)
- iShares Select Dividend ETF (DVYE)
- iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond Buywrite Strategy ETF (TLTW)
- Global X MLP ETF (MLPA)
- Invesco KBW High Dividend Yield Financial ETF (KBWD)
One way to think about it is every three months taking whatever excess income you can afford to invest – money that you will never need to touch again – and buy ETFs! Buy ETFs when the market is up. Buy ETFs when the market is down.
The one time it's okay to choose a single investment
You wouldn't ever want to load up your portfolio with a single stock. But if you're buying S&P 500 ETFs, this is the one scenario where you might get away with only owning a single investment. That's because your investment gives you access to the broad stock market.
ETFs can be safe investments if used correctly, offering diversification and flexibility. Indexed ETFs, tracking specific indexes like the S&P 500, are generally safe and tend to gain value over time. Leveraged ETFs can be used to amplify returns, but they can be riskier due to increased volatility.
Before purchasing an ETF there are five factors to take into account 1) performance of the ETF 2) the underlying index of the ETF 3) the ETF's structure 4) when and how to trade the ETF and 5) the total cost of the ETF.
The single biggest risk in ETFs is market risk. Like a mutual fund or a closed-end fund, ETFs are only an investment vehicle—a wrapper for their underlying investment. So if you buy an S&P 500 ETF and the S&P 500 goes down 50%, nothing about how cheap, tax efficient, or transparent an ETF is will help you.
So, what's the ideal number of funds? Well, there is no right or wrong answer. It can depend on a number of factors including the number of funds you're comfortable monitoring in your portfolio, your investment objectives and risk appetite.
Nearly all leveraged ETFs come with a prominent warning in their prospectus: they are not designed for long-term holding.
What is the riskiest ETF?
In contrast, the riskiest ETF in the Morningstar database, ProShares Ultra VIX Short-term Futures Fund (UVXY), has a three-year standard deviation of 132.9. The fund, of course, doesn't invest in stocks. It invests in volatility itself, as measured by the so-called Fear Index: The short-term CBOE VIX index.
- Trading fees.
- Operating expenses.
- Low trading volume.
- Tracking errors.
- The possibility of less diversification.
- Hidden risks.
- Lack of liquidity.
- Capital gains distributions.
A well-constructed dividend portfolio could potentially yield anywhere from 2% to 8% per year. This means that to earn $3,000 monthly from dividend stocks, the required initial investment could range from $450,000 to $1.8 million, depending on the yield.
To generate $5,000 per month in dividends, you would need a portfolio value of approximately $1 million invested in stocks with an average dividend yield of 5%. For example, Johnson & Johnson stock currently yields 2.7% annually. $1 million invested would generate about $27,000 per year or $2,250 per month.
For example, if the average yield is 3%, that's what we'll use for our calculations. Keep in mind, yields vary based on the investment. Calculate the Investment Needed: To earn $1,000 per month, or $12,000 per year, at a 3% yield, you'd need to invest a total of about $400,000.
