Contrarian Outlook

Three of the most successful closed-end funds (CEFs) in history have done something unprecedented—both for the funds themselves and the company that manages them. They merged.PIMCO is arguably...

Everyone wants to be a contrarian investor. But in practice, most people buy more near tops and sell shares low.Our human nature becomes tricky during times like these. Markets are ticking near...

Let’s cut the Fed-babble and call things how they really are. Because what happened last week means a lot for our dividends—and whether we’ll be able to count on them in the...

There’s a “retirement shortcut” far too many people ignore—and it could let you hang ’em up a lot sooner than you think (and with a lot more income, too).Retirement...

What’s better than a 6% yield paid every quarter?An 8% annual yield—paid every month—of course. These hidden gems aren’t easy to find, but they are out there. While 99% of the...

Infrastructure spending is back in vogue, and we’ve got a chance to grab a piece of it tax-free.That would be through municipal bonds, investments most people see as sleepy (though I have no...

Nick Patterson was one smart dude. Math genius, stats wiz and perhaps the top code breaker for the British government for many years.But even he couldn’t figure out how his new employer was...

Fact: there are still lots of big, cheap and safe dividends out there—but they’re going fast as this market floats higher.So today we’re going to get right to it and look at four...

Dividend growth is back. And we have a great opportunity to “front run” 26 upcoming dividend increases.And if you’re wondering what exactly is so exciting about a 9% dividend hike....

One of my favorite quotes about closed-end funds (CEFs) comes from Richard Thaler. When writing about why investors bought some CEFs for more than they’re worth, he simply said: “There are...

Like many wise money quotes, nobody is quite sure who originally said: “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?”It’s frequently credited to economist John...

This “stocks-up, yields-down” market is clobbering income investors. With stock prices floating higher, yields are crumbling to dust: with the 1.3% payout on the typical S&P 500...

It’s a no-yield world we dividend investors are living in. But believe it or not, there are some payers with serious yields that get zero mainstream attention. We’ll discuss five in a...

Many people spot a closed-end fund (CEF) with a high dividend, a double-digit discount and a big recent price gain and automatically hit the buy button, thinking they’ve got a clear winner on...

Start rounding up your spare cash, because the best dividend buying opportunity—since last October—is coming soon.Last week, we chatted about stacking dry powder for a special purchasing...

If you’re on the hunt for big dividends (and who isn’t these days?), closed-end funds (CEFs) must be on your shopping list. As I write this, there are more than 500 CEFs in existence,...