If you're a retiree (or nearing that point), dividend stocks are likely to be on your mind. Interest income earned on bonds is nice to be sure. But, in that these interest payments are fixed and bonds don't offer any capital appreciation, they're not always an ideal retirement holding. Only stocks offer potential dividend growth as well as price growth.
The problem? Picking the right dividend stocks can be difficult. Locking on to the wrong one creates a risk of shrinking your retirement nest egg at a time when you are trying to reduce risk.
There's a much simpler solution. Why not buy a basket of dividend-paying stocks that professionals manage and update as necessary?
Here's a closer look at four different dividend-oriented exchange-traded funds -- or ETFs -- that would be at home in most retirees' portfolios. Owning just one of them could be a smart move, but owning all four of them offers you a balance of everything you could want in a collection of dividend stocks.
1. Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF
Sky-high dividend yields are certainly tempting. If the underlying dividend never actually grows, however, inflation is likely to eat away at the value of its payment over time.
And yes, there are plenty of reputable dividend-paying tickers out there that haven't upped their quarterly dividend payment in years. Campbell Soup comes to mind. It's a fine company with a well-established brand name, and it's made its quarterly payment like clockwork for years now. The current quarterly payout of $0.37 per share hasn't budged since early 2021, though, and its previous quarterly dividend payout was stuck at $0.35 per share for five straight years before that modest increase.
Enter the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG -0.15%).
Just as the name suggests, the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF holds stocks with a track record of reliable dividend payment growth. Sure, the trailing divided yield of 2% isn't exactly thrilling. Last quarter's per-share payout of $0.77 is more than 50% above its typical quarterly payment just five years back, however, extending a long streak of dividend increases.
Yet this ETF has also served up some solid price appreciation in addition to its dividend growth. Led by its top holdings like Microsoft and Apple, the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF is up 55% for the same five-year time frame.
2. SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF
Although dividend growth is important to all retirees, that's not necessarily the only goal for a retirement portfolio. You may need above-average dividend income right now as well. If that's the case, consider the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF (SPYD 0.16%).
Just like the name says, this ETF aims to maintain a strong yield. Its current dividend yield is just a tad over 5%. What's curious about this fund is its methodology for selecting its holdings.
Like most other ETFs it's based on a formula -- it holds the 80 highest-yielding stocks in the S&P 500. Unlike most other index-based exchange-traded funds though, the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF portfolio is dramatically rebalanced on a semiannual basis. When its high-yielding stocks become low-yielding stocks, they're replaced with higher-yielding tickers. Although too much turnover (or trading) is something an investor generally wants a fund or ETF to avoid, in this case, the approach locks in gains on stocks that have raced higher, and scoops up dividend-paying stocks that have been beaten down.
It's not a game changer in terms of bolstering your bottom line. The methodology can prove to be an edge from time to time though, adding to the healthy dividend this exchange-traded fund already pays.
3. Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF
Stock picking is ultimately about trade-offs. A stock generally offers value or growth, but not both. It can be low-risk, but if it is, the potential reward is also low. You get the idea.
The Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD 0.06%) is a compromise of a slightly different kind. Although its current dividend yield of 5.1% is actually a bit above the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF's current yield, with this fund you're sacrificing payout growth as well as potential for capital appreciation. What you're gaining is a less volatile, less erratic holding from one day to the next. Its beta score is a relatively low 0.8, meaning the fund's value only moves about 80% as much as the market moves on any given day, up or down; its top holdings like Verizon Communications and Altria Group just don't worry or excite investors as much as other stocks do.
Don't dismiss the value of such a holding. While nothing about it is riveting, this is a well-balanced fund that's easier to stick with than other ETFs or stocks when things turn rocky for the market. Being able to remain in a position without getting seasick is actually a pretty big deal. See, market recoveries are often right around the corner when it most seems like the market is doomed.
4. Global X SuperDividend ETF
Last but not least, current and future retirees will want to add the Global X SuperDividend ETF (SDIV 0.57%) to their watch lists, if not their portfolios.
It's admittedly a lot like the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF in that its primary purpose is supporting the strongest dividend yield that's feasibly possible. To this end, its yield right now is on the order of 12%.
What's different about this ETF is the pool of stocks it selects its underlying holdings from. It truly is an international fund. For perspective, its four biggest positions at this time are Ready Capital, Brazil's metal mining outfit CSN Mineracao, Brazilian telecom Companhia Paranaense de Energia, and China's logistics and property company Orient Overseas International Ltd. Many of its stocks are real estate investment trusts (REITs) and utilities, in fact, explaining the abnormally large dividend yield. The trade-off is diminished potential for capital appreciation and a dividend payment that isn't exactly etched in stone.
Still, this compromise may well be worth it. Not only does this exchange-traded fund allow you to own foreign companies that might otherwise be inaccessible, its dividend is paid on a monthly rather than quarterly basis, like many of your bills.
That's a dividend, by the way, that's been paid every month for the past 12 years. Not bad.