Because I can!

This post in unlike any other that I've written for DivGro. It will not share any new insights into dividend growth investing, nor provide an update of my dividend growth portfolio. It won't be all that long, either. And you'll understand why, in a moment. 

I'm writing this post on the balcony of our mini suite on the Norwegian Epic. My wife and I are on a Caribbean cruise. It is our first ever cruise as a married couple and we're doing it in celebration of our 28th anniversary. So far, its been a wonderful experience – something I can highly recommend. And I'm really grateful for the opportunity to celebrate our anniversary in this way!

The cool thing about this cruise is that we're getting it for a bargain price. Cruises are expensive to operate and unsold cabins do not generate income. So last-minute discount deals are available, if you know where to find them. Last-minute is a bit of a misnomer – cut-rate promotions are typically available within 90 days of departure and is a great way to cruise for cost-conscious travelers with flexible schedules. 

This post's title is a tribute to our sons, who asked, indignantly: "Why would you want to post to your blog when you're on vacation?"

Dividend Increases, January 1-15, 2014

Mid-month and time again to report on recent dividend increases for stocks in my watch list. I compile this information from a screening feature available to subscribers at Dividend.com. Monitoring dividend increases over time is one way to assess the long-term health of dividend paying companies. For stocks I own in DivGro, dividend increases imply that my yield on cost increases.

10 Dividend Growth Stocks for January, 2014

Two weeks into the new year and, so far, no new purchase for DivGro! I've been busy looking back, posting a monthly, quarterly and annual review and improving my Performance page. Now its time to look forward!

This year, I'm shifting focus to balancing my portfolio holdings across all 10 sectors in my watch list. Given DivGro's current sector distribution, I need to stay clear of candidates in Financials and Energy, in favor of candidates in the other sectors. If I stick to my plan of making a recurring monthly deposit of $2,500, I can expand DivGro's number of holdings from 24 to 36 (assuming I continue to buy stocks in $2,500 chunks).

First Anniversary!

One year ago, today, I introduced DivGro to the world. Of course, except for a few family members, nobody else was aware of the fact that yet another dividend growth blog had been launched! Over time, though, I've enjoyed increasing traffic to my blog and I hope that my readers have found some useful information here.

I know I've learned a tremendous amount over the past year. As I wrote in a previous milestones post, writing about one's investing decisions is an interesting thing: it not only requires discipline and perseverance, but also a willingness to be accountable. It certainly is an inspiring and invigorating process.

Annual Review, 2013

I created DivGro in January of 2013 to generate a reliable and growing dividend income stream. By keeping track of the portfolio in this blog and by interacting with like-minded investors, I've become a better dividend growth investor. I've learned a tremendous amount about dividend growth investing, how to value dividend stocks and, frankly, the benefits of blogging!

The purpose of this post is to review DivGro's performance in 2013. I'd like to do this by measuring DivGro's performance against the goals I've set for 2013 and by looking at the portfolio's overall performance (rate of return, dividend income, dividend growth, and yield on cost).

Quarterly Review, Q4-2013

My first DivGro post was on January 10, 2013, so just 8 more days before the first anniversary of this blog! It's been quite an adventure! I've learned a lot in the past year, yet I know there's a lot more to learn...

With the fourth quarter of DivGro behind us, its time again to look at the portfolio's performance.

During this past quarter, I've contributed capital funds in the amount of $24,500 to DivGro, including two bonus deposits of $10,000 each. Dividend income in Q4 totaled $586.74, up from $385.89 received in Q3. This is the third consecutive quarterly dividend increase for DivGro.

I purchased shares in nine new dividend growth stocks, adding $1,085.31 to DivGros's projected annual dividend income, which now totals $2,864.94.

Monthly Review: December 2013

Its that time of year when many people reflect on the past year and resolve to be different or to do better next year. As a newby blogger, I get to write my first triple review: this monthly review, followed by a quarterly and an annual review.

The month of December was a busy one for DivGro! I wrote eleven posts, the most of any month in 2013. The main reason is that I made another bonus deposit, which afforded the opportunity to buy 5 more stocks! In the process, I've managed to diversify my holdings in DivGro to several new sectors. DivGro's projected annual dividend income now stands at $2,865, a yield of 3.81% given DivGro's market value of $75,145.

Dividend Increases, December 16-31, 2013

Happy new year!

I have several posts lined-up for the new year, but first I want to report on recent dividend increases for stocks in my watch list. I compile this information from a screening feature available to subscribers at Dividend.com. Monitoring dividend increases over time is one way to assess the long-term health of dividend paying companies.