SPDR S&P Dividend (ETF)

• How to Build Your Retirement Portfolio

  By Daniel Paterson - May 23, 2013 | Tickers: PFF, SDY, DEM

  There are plenty of publications out there telling you that everyone needs to be saving for retirement. Regardless of age you need to be putting away 10% to 15% of your income. Sometimes these publications will go one step further and tell you that you should be putting your money into index funds or mutual funds. That’s it.

  Rarely do people elaborate on what funds are the best of more »

• Dogs Kick off 2013 with Outperformance

  By Jordan Wathen - May 7, 2013 | Tickers: SDOG, SPY, SDY

  The Dogs of the Dow strategy is one of the most followed alternative methods of stock picking. The idea is simple: buy the 10 highest-yielding Dow components on Jan. 1 and hold for the rest of the year. Each year, re-balance your holdings into a new collection of the 10 highest-yielding stocks.

  The strategy has since been expanded. One exchange-traded fund, the ALPS Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (NYSEMKT: SDOG), employs more »

• This Undiscovered ETF Brings it Home for Investors

  By Jordan Wathen - May 2, 2013 | Tickers: PKW, SPY, SDY

  There are more than 1,450 ETFs out there, running the gamut from oddities like Japanese hedged equity funds to plain vanilla index funds.

  In between A and Z are a few undiscovered style and strategy ETFs that post impressive long-run returns without attracting much attention from Wall Street.

  This under-owned ETF has killed it since 2007

  One of the best performing exchange-traded funds on Wall Street comes from Invesco more »

• Which Dividend ETF Will Lift Your Portfolio?

  By Jordan Wathen - April 28, 2013 | Tickers: DVY, SDY, VIG

  The onslaught of dividend ETFs hasn't gone unnoticed. As investors grab for yield, dividend-paying equities look more attractive than ever. 

  So which ETF is the best dividend fund? Here are the top three, each having their own advantages:

  Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF 

  The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (NYSEMKT: VIG) is one of the best dividend funds in existence. Investors have stashed nearly $13 billion in the fund, which offers more »

• Consider This Investment for Dividends and Diversification

  By Daniel Murray - April 23, 2013 | Tickers: CVS, DVY, HDV, KMB, MCD, DWX, SDY, DTN, DEM

  As with most other investment categories, income investors have options other than choosing individual stocks that pay dividends. There are several exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that specialize in dividend-paying stocks.

  One example is the Dow Jones Select Dividend Index Fund (NYSEMKT: DVY). Launched in November 2003, DVY is a passively managed ETF designed to track the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index, which is an index comprised more »

• Sensing a Market Top? Seek this Stock for Downside Protection

  By Jordan Wathen - March 13, 2013 | Tickers: SPY, SDY

  The S&P 500 is up more than 8% year-to-date, leading many to believe the market's recent performance is disconnected from the economy at large. As investors look forward, they see a “great rotation” from bonds to stocks lifting the general market, not out of appreciation for equities, but from a fear that fixed-income performance will only leave investors behind.

  There are substitutes to the broad market, though. One more »

• The "Sixth Sense" About 2013

  By Mike Richardson - February 22, 2013 | Tickers: FXH, AAXJ, SDY, DON

  There are many variables at play in the markets starting off 2013, most notably here at home with looming decisions on government spending cuts.  Even with numerous obstacles threatening the global economy, there has been a steady resilience in the US, a rebound in China, and even some semblance of stability emerging in Europe.  All of these factors are creating a greater degree of cautious optimism about the year ahead more »

• Three ETFs to Match Together

  By Jeff Stouffer - September 19, 2012 | Tickers: EFA, ITR, SDY

  Exchange-traded funds, like mutual funds, can be match together to create a strategy that adds more diversification to the investment portfolio. One important consideration to doing this successfully is to pair non-correlated ETFs. 

  A proven strategy that has worked with some mutual funds is to take one third of the investment capital and allocate it to an equity income fund. The next third goes to an intermediate bond fund. The more »

• Dividend Paying Stocks; Always a Favorite

  By Jeff Stouffer - September 17, 2012 | Tickers: SDOG, HDV, SDY

  A long time favorite strategy is based on seeking stocks of companies that have consistently paid and increased dividend payments over time. This is based on the premise that well established companies have a firm foundation in their respective industry and will be consistently sharing profits with its owners. Numerous mutual funds and professionally managed separate accounts use this investment philosophy as a cornerstone in business development.

  Now that exchange-traded more »

• Picking A High Dividend ETF

  By Patrick King - April 17, 2012 | Tickers: IDV, SDY, VIG, VYM, DGS

  Bond yields remain weak, and the potential price action when yields do recover could prove volatile, so a lot of income seeking investors have been turning to stock dividends. Of course, picking a stock is nothing like picking a bond, so lots of exchange traded fund providers have entered the dividend space to "help"...

  Above I have attempted to shoehorn my "Good Bad Ugly" method onto a number of high more »

• An Appreciation for Dividends

  By Roger Wohlner - January 8, 2012 | Tickers: CVX, KO, IBM, DVY, MCD, PG, SDY, VIG

  In the course of looking for a fund for a client that focused on the types of blue-chip companies in which he had an interest, I came across Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index. The fund is available as a mutual fund (NasdaqMutFund: VADIX) or as an ETF (NYSEMKT: VIG).

  Dividend-focused funds and ETFs generally come in two varieties. One variety is focused on stocks that allow the fund to deliver a more »

• Personal Finance Myths Revoked

  By Justin Carley - December 8, 2011 | Tickers: SDY

  I hear these two statements frequently, “Never get money back on your income taxes.” and “Always roll your 401k into an IRA.”  In today’s market environment I disagree with both these statements and I lay may case out below.