Hello and welcome to my first Investment Performance and Dividend Income report!

If you are new here, hi I’m a freelance designer + developer, side hustler, and blogger behind Happier Freelancing.

In 2020, my eCommerce business dropped its sales dramatically due to worldwide shipping delays. Therefore, I started blogging to find new ways of making money online. During this time, I also find the FIRE community. I enjoyed reading financial independence blogs, especially dividend income reports. I couldn’t believe the power of compound interest! It was really inspiring.

After that, I started investing in stocks to create additional sources of income. For now, my goal is to make $100 a month from dividends after tax.

I hope you enjoy reading about my investing journey.

Brokerage Account

A brokerage account is the type of account used to buy and sell stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. You can transfer money into and out of a brokerage account like a bank account, but brokerage accounts also allow you access to the stock market and other investments.

I use a Fidelity brokerage account to invest in individual stocks and ETFs. Fidelity is one of the most well-rounded brokerages with no commissions on stock and a selection of no-expense-ratio index funds. Their website is also easy to navigate. So far, I like Fidelity.

Purchases

I purchased Barrick Gold and CREDIT SUISSE because these were so cheap. I didn’t expect dividend income, but Barrick Gold currently has a 4.33% dividend yield and CREDIT SUISSE has a 4.14% dividend yield. It’s not so bad. I was planning to buy more but these two stocks keep going down. Well, looks not good! I’ll wait and see how it goes.

I also purchased Global X NASDAQ 100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD) because of its 11.93% dividend yield. QYLD seeks to generate income through covered call writing, which historically produces higher yields in periods of volatility. Most investors said QYLD is not a good investment, but I bought it to see how this 11.93% dividend yield will cover the high volatility and expense ratio. I’ll share the QYLD experience with my readers in this blog. If you are interested in QYLD, please check my blog once in a while.

• Barrick Gold Corporation (GOLD)
• CREDIT SUISSE GROUP AG (CS)
• Global X NASDAQ 100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD)

Dividends Received

I received dividends from 4 companies this year, a total of 11 times.

U.S. citizens owe income tax on dividends paid by corporations based in foreign countries. Therefore, I had to pay tax for Barrick Gold and Credit Suisse dividends. These taxes are deducted before being paid to me.

• Kroger
• Barrick Gold Corporation
• CREDIT SUISSE GROUP AG
• Global X NASDAQ 100 Covered Call ETF

Money Received

Barrick Gold paid a return of capital (ROC) to their shareholders in addition to quarterly dividends. ROC is a payment from an investment that is not considered a taxable event and is not taxed as income.

• Barrick Gold

Sold

A tender offer is a public solicitation to all shareholders requesting that they tender their stock for sale at a specific price during a certain time. HOLICITY offered a higher price per share than the company’s current stock price. So, I sold them all.

I sold Kroger, Altria, and Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF for capital gains. These stocks & ETFs grew a lot in the short term.

• Kroger
• HOLICITY
• Altria Group Inc
• Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF

Wrapping Up

Any type of investing involves risks like a loss. However, history shows that investing in stocks or bonds rather than sitting in cash can make a significant difference in long-term financial success.

Take control of your risk and build your asset allocation strategy. Investing doesn’t have to be confusing or intimidating. Now, it’s your turn! How was your investment in 2021? What is your plan for 2022?