What is the highest paying dividend ETF?
Dividend-paying ETFs can be a great tool for those looking to increase cash flow and diversify their investments. They offer a simple solution to getting exposure to a specific investing niche — in this case, stocks that pay a regular dividend. You can use those dividends to pad your income as many retirees do.
| ETF | Assets Under Management | Dividend Yield |
|---|---|---|
| JP Morgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPQ) | $9.6 billion | 9.7% |
| iShares Select Dividend ETF (DVYE) | $670 million | 9.3% |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond Buywrite Strategy ETF (TLTW) | $889 million | 19.9% |
| Global X MLP ETF (MLPA) | $1.5 billion | 7.2% |
Dividend-paying ETFs can be a great tool for those looking to increase cash flow and diversify their investments. They offer a simple solution to getting exposure to a specific investing niche — in this case, stocks that pay a regular dividend. You can use those dividends to pad your income as many retirees do.
| Symbol Symbol | ETF Name ETF Name | % In Top 10 % In Top 10 |
|---|---|---|
| VIG | Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF | 32.18% |
| VYM | Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index ETF | 25.50% |
| VYMI | Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF | 14.60% |
| VIGI | Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF | 35.23% |
| Symbol | Name | 5-Year Return |
|---|---|---|
| GBTC | Grayscale Bitcoin Trust | 67.50% |
| USD | ProShares Ultra Semiconductors | 58.79% |
| FNGU | MicroSectors FANG+™ Index 3X Leveraged ETN | 53.73% |
| FNGO | MicroSectors FANG+ Index 2X Leveraged ETNs | 49.76% |
| Symbol | Name | Dividend Yield |
|---|---|---|
| QRMI | Global X NASDAQ 100 Risk Managed Income ETF | 12.19% |
| YYY | Amplify High Income ETF | 12.05% |
| KBWD | Invesco KBW High Dividend Yield Financial ETF | 11.91% |
| SDIV | Global X SuperDividend ETF | 11.90% |
SPHD: Which Dividend ETF is Better? The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (NYSEARCA:SCHD) and the Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (NYSEARCA:SPHD) are two popular dividend ETFs from leading asset managers. With a dividend yield of 4.5%, SPHD's yield is higher than SCHD's dividend yield of 3.5%.
Cons. No guarantee of future dividends. Stock price declines may offset yield. Dividends are taxed in the year they are distributed to shareholders.
Dividend ETFs and dividend stocks can both generate income and provide long-term growth for investors. However, they both carry similar degrees of market risk. Therefore, the choice of ETFs versus stocks comes down to an investor's personal preferences, investing goals and tolerance for risk.
For most personal investors, an optimal number of ETFs to hold would be 5 to 10 across asset classes, geographies, and other characteristics.
How can I avoid paying tax on dividends?
You may be able to avoid all income taxes on dividends if your income is low enough to qualify for zero capital gains if you invest in a Roth retirement account or buy dividend stocks in a tax-advantaged education account.
| ETF | Assets Under Management | Expense Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) | $71.7 billion | 0.1% |
| Invesco AI and Next Gen Software ETF (IGPT) | $254 million | 0.6% |
| MicroSectors FANG+ Index 3X Leveraged ETN (FNGU) | $3.3 billion | 0.95% |
| Vanguard U.S. Quality Factor ETF (VFQY) | $292 million | 0.13% |
Dividends and interest payments from ETFs are taxed similarly to income from the underlying stocks or bonds inside them. For U.S. taxpayers, this income needs to be reported on form 1099-DIV. 2 If you earn a profit by selling an ETF, they are taxed like the underlying stocks or bonds as well.
Market risk
The single biggest risk in ETFs is market risk. Like a mutual fund or a closed-end fund, ETFs are only an investment vehicle—a wrapper for their underlying investment. So if you buy an S&P 500 ETF and the S&P 500 goes down 50%, nothing about how cheap, tax efficient, or transparent an ETF is will help you.
The average dividend yield on S&P 500 index companies that pay a dividend historically fluctuates somewhere between 2% and 5%, depending on market conditions. 7 In general, it pays to do your homework on stocks yielding more than 8% to find out what is truly going on with the company.
The majority of individual investors should, however, seek to hold 5 to 10 ETFs that are diverse in terms of asset classes, regions, and other factors. Investors can diversify their investment portfolio across several industries and asset classes while maintaining simplicity by buying 5 to 10 ETFs.
- High-Yield Monthly Dividend Stock #4: AGNC Investment Corporation (AGNC)
- High-Yield Monthly Dividend Stock #3: ARMOUR Residential REIT (ARR)
- High-Yield Monthly Dividend Stock #2: Ellington Residential Mortgage REIT (EARN)
- High-Yield Monthly Dividend Stock #1: Orchid Island Capital (ORC)
But if you're looking to beat the S&P 500 over the long haul, one ETF stands apart: Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ). The Invesco QQQ ETF, usually just called QQQ, is a top performer this year.
Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index ETF (VYM)
VYM has a dividend yield of 2.94% and paid $3.48 per share in the past year. The dividend is paid every three months and the last ex-dividend date was Dec 18, 2023.
SCHD outperforms VYM over long periods of time
The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF delivered an 11.03% annual NAV return in the last ten years and 13.03% since inception… which gives the SCHD a considerable performance advantage over the Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index ETF.
Why is SCHD so good?
SCHD's long-term track record of double-digit annualized returns over many years also inspires confidence that this is still a good place to be in the long term. Lastly, SCHD's expense ratio of just 0.06% is extremely favorable for investors, making this a compelling ETF to own in 2024 and beyond.
The biggest driver of investor interest has been its strong and consistent track record. On an annual basis, almost like clockwork, SCHD has performed in the top 1/3 of its Morningstar category and had done so far a decade straight.
It is possible to achieve financial freedom by living off dividends forever. That isn't to say it's easy, but it's possible. Those starting from nothing admittedly have a hard road to retirement-enabling passive income.
As with stocks and many mutual funds, most ETFs pay their dividends quarterly—once every three months. However, ETFs that offer monthly dividend returns are also available.
ETF issuers collect any dividends paid by the companies whose stocks are held in the fund, and they then pay those dividends to their shareholders. They may pay the money directly to the shareholders, or reinvest it in the fund.
