How Often Are Dividends Paid & When Do You Get Them?

Knowing when, and how, you'll get paid is important.

By Jason Hall – Updated Sep 3, 2025 at 12:17 PM | Fact-checked by Margo Winton Parodi

Key Points

Most U.S. companies pay quarterly dividends, although some REITs can pay monthly.
To receive a dividend, you must own the stock before the ex-dividend date.
Dividends are mainly paid in cash directly to your brokerage account.

If you're investing in dividend stocks, it's important to understand how and when a dividend is paid. In most cases, stock dividends are paid quarterly, or four times per year, while a few real estate investment trusts (REITs) pay dividends every month. There are exceptions since each company's board of directors determines if and when it will pay a dividend, but the vast majority of companies that pay a dividend do so quarterly.

In addition to when, it's also important to know how you'll get paid. There are also several important dates to know that determine if you are entitled to the dividend. Keep reading for a breakdown of this important information that every dividend investor needs to understand.

Loading paragraph...

A graphic answering questions about dividends, including: how they're paid, how often they're paid, and how much they pay. — Image source: The Motley Fool.

Loading image...

Loading paragraph...

Costco Dividends — COST Dividend data by YCharts.

Loading image...

Loading paragraph...

Loading pitch...

Loading paragraph...

To summarize: A company's board declares a dividend to be paid on a certain date to shareholders of record as of a prior date. To be one of those shareholders of record, you need to buy or already own shares before the ex-div date, which is the same day as the record date unless the record date falls on a non-business day.

Related investing topics

Loading paragraph...

9 Top Dividend Stocks for October 2025

These companies pay their shareholders regularly, making them good sources of income.

How to Invest in Dividend Stocks: A Guide to Dividend Investing

Take a closer look at how to invest in stocks that pay a dividend.

Dividend Kings of 2025

These S&P 500 companies have increased their dividends for 50 consecutive years.

How to Calculate Dividends (With or Without a Balance Sheet)

There's a formula to calculating dividends. Learn how to use it to find yours.

Loading hub_pages...

Loading paragraph...

Loading pitch...

Loading paragraph...

Loading faq...

About the Author

Jason Hall is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst with more than a decade of experience writing about dividend stocks and long-term investing. He has been with the company since 2012 and previously spent over 10 years in technical sales in the printing and information services industry. Jason also founded and operated a small food manufacturing business.

TMFVelvetHammer

@thesmattering

Jason Hall has positions in Realty Income. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Costco Wholesale, and Realty Income. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.