AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. (AMP) Dividend Increase Announced on April 23, 2018

My next dividend payment from AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. (AMP) will be 98 cents more than the first payment I received in May 2016.  Part of this is due to dividend reinvestment and the rest is due to dividend increase, the most recent of which is 8%.

During the time AMP has been in the nonPension portfolio, the dividend growth has nearly kept pace with the growth needed in order to reach the goal of making $560 in monthly income by December 2035, and the value of the shares has increased during that time as well.

Whirlpool Corporation (WHR) Dividend Increase Announced on April 17, 2018

Whirlpool Corporation (WHR) recently announced a nickel dividend increase, which is only half of the increase provided last year.  This most recent dividend increase is 5%.  When you combine both increases since my purchase with the dividend reinvestment that has taken place, my next payment from WHR will be 20% higher than the first two years prior.  That works out to an annualized increase of 11%.  But over the past year, the dividend increase is only 7%.

While my dividend payments have increased during the time WHR has been in the nonPension portfolio, the value of each share is down during the same period.

Carnival Corporation (CCL) Dividend Increase Announced on April 11, 2018

Carnival Corporation (CCL) has been an excellent performer in my nonPension portfolio for over a year and a half.  During the time I have owned it, the value of the shares has increased nicely, but more importantly, there has been a significant increase in the dividend during the time I have owned CCL.

The most recent increase comes after just six months, and the increase before that was also only six months after the one before that.  My next dividend will be be a huge 50% higher than my first payment in September 2016.  The annualized increase in the dividend payment works out to 26%. Over just the last year, the dividend payment increase is 28%.

My suspicion is that more and more people will be going on vacations on cruise ships in the future, so I hope that CCL will continue to perform well for the nP portfolio.

I bought 11 shares of Aflac Incorporated (AFL) on April 23, 2018

Throughout the year 2014, I bought a lot (relatively speaking) of Aflac Incorporated (AFL) in my regular retirement savings account and in my taxable account.  I had to sell a little in 2017 to take care of some expenses, but I still have most of my original shares.

Now have added more AFL to my holdings, since I have just added it to the nonPension portfolio.

Aflac is one of many companies that have decided to pay significantly higher dividends since the new tax rates went into effect.  This is good news, since for several years AFL dividend raises have been rather small until the big move up earlier this year.

It has been about a decade since AFL's P/E ratio was at 15 or higher.  The price keeps trying to reach for that elusive P/E level.  If the P/E reaches 15 in the near future, AFL will present a nice paper profit in the portfolio.

This new purchase of 11 shares will increase my average monthly dividend by 95 cents.

I sold half of my Westrock Comapny (WRK) on April 16, 2018.

Westrock Comapny (WRK) has been one of several investments that have doubled in value during the time they have been in the nonPension portfolio.

Last week I sold half of my WRK shares since the valuation is relatively high and the dividend growth rate is relatively low.  The sale reduces my average monthly income by $1.15.

When I sell something in my nonPension portfolio, I try to buy something with either a higher dividend yield or a higher dividend growth rate, or both.  The replacement for my old WRK shares will only meet one of these criteria.

This is the first time I have sold only half of my shares of a security in this portfolio.  I am holding on to the other half of my WRK shares in hopes that their great performance will continue. 

My monthly income is up 1.7% in March.

Going forward, my average monthly income is now $81.91, up $1.33 from a month ago.  The nonPension portfolio's income growth is still considerably higher than it needs to be in order to meet the goal of paying $560 per month in dividend income by December 2035.

Where did the increase income come from?

🌞Best Buy (BBY) raised its dividend by 32% on February 1.  The increase caused the monthly income to jump 61 cents.

Kohl's (KSS) raised its dividend by 11% on February 1.  That contributed to a 26 cent increase in monthly income.

QUALCOMM (QCOM) raised its dividend by 7% on February 8.  As a result, the monthly income for the nonPension portfolio was 18 cents higher.

The remaining 28 cents in monthly income came from dividend reinvestment in the following securities:  ADM, AMGN, AMP, BA, BG, CCL, EAT, GILD, HBI, HOG, INTC, IP, LAMR, MPC, PAG, PFE, PRU, PSX, R, T, WFC, and WHR.

All in all, over half of the stocks in the portfolio either raised the dividend or paid a dividend over the past month.

Ticker	Shares	Avg Monthly Dividends	One Year Ago	% Change
AAPL	5.152	$1.08	$0.98	10.53%
ABBV	9.743	$3.12	$2.08	50.00%
ADM	12.916	$1.44	$1.38	4.69%
ADNT	1.000	$0.09	$0.09
AMGN	3.163	$1.39	$1.21	14.78%
AMP	5.259	$1.45	$1.31	10.67%
BA	4.265	$2.43	$2.02	20.42%
BBY	16.760	$2.51	$1.90	32.35%
BG	9.438	$1.45	$1.32	9.52%
CAH	7.219	$1.11	$1.08	3.01%
CCL	11.516	$1.73	$1.34	28.57%
EAT	10.707	$1.36	$1.21	11.76%
EMN	7.361	$1.37	$1.25	9.80%
GEO	25.008	$3.92	$3.92	0.00%
GILD	6.298	$1.20	$1.09	9.62%
GLW	28.435	$1.71	$1.47	16.13%
HBI	24.675	$1.23	$1.23	0.00%
HOG	12.796	$1.58	$1.56	1.37%
HPQ	38.695	$1.80	$1.71	4.97%
INTC	14.666	$1.47	$1.33	10.09%
IP	14.108	$2.23	$2.17	2.70%
IRM	15.691	$3.07	$2.88	6.82%
JCI	10.305	$0.89	$0.86	4.00%
JPM	8.397	$1.57	$1.40	12.00%
KSS	12.110	$2.46	$2.22	10.91%
LAMR	7.268	$2.20	$2.01	9.64%
LM	16.789	$1.57	$1.23	27.27%
M	13.171	$1.66	$1.66	0.00%
MPC	16.963	$2.60	$2.04	27.78%
OHI	17.330	$3.81	$3.58	6.45%
PAG	11.321	$1.28	$1.13	13.33%
PFE	16.000	$1.81	$1.71	6.25%
PRU	6.438	$1.93	$1.61	20.00%
PSX	6.343	$1.48	$1.33	11.11%
QCOM	9.697	$2.00	$1.84	8.77%
R	10.572	$1.83	$1.55	18.18%
SBUX	8.123	$0.81	$0.68	20.00%
T	16.793	$2.80	$2.74	2.04%
TGT	7.485	$1.55	$1.50	3.33%
UNP	6.283	$1.53	$1.27	20.66%
VIAB	12.543	$0.84	$0.84	0.00%
VZ	10.845	$2.13	$2.09	2.16%
WFC	10.506	$1.37	$1.33	2.63%
WHR	3.131	$1.15	$1.04	10.00%
WRK	15.951	$2.29	$2.13	7.50%
WYN	7.265	$1.60	$1.40	13.79%
TOTAL		$81.91	$73.73
Overall annual increase in dividend payments				11.10%
Overall dividend yield -- dividends reinvested				3.38%
Approximate annual growth rate including reinvestment and increases				14.85%
Annual growth rate needed				11.44%
Ahead of goal rate by				3.42%