Is it Well worth the Value?

Curious readers can obtain the Dividend Kings spreadsheet without cost. Dividend Kings are 50+ shares which have paid and elevated their dividends for 50+ consecutive years. 

---

Certain Dividend is an investing web site and paid publication service specializing in dividend shares and revenue investing.

When the Certain Dividend weblog began in 2014, it constructed a big viewers by offering in-depth analyses of shares on the Dividend Aristocrats listing.

The Aristocrats are S&P 500 index shares which have paid and elevated dividends for the previous 25 years or extra. 

Certain Dividend has expanded its analysis circumference to greater than 850 shares and now gives a number of paid newsletters offering inventory suggestions for revenue buyers.

It provide a number of free spreadsheet downloads for curious buyers, together with:

• Dividend Kings — Record of fifty+ shares which have paid and elevated their dividends for 50+ consecutive years.
• Month-to-month Dividend Shares — Record of 70+ shares that pay a month-to-month dividend as a substitute of quarterly.
• Dividend Champions — Record of 140+  shares which have 25+ consecutive years of dividend will increase.

Not like standard newsletters akin to Motley Idiot Inventory Advisor, Certain Dividend favors dividend safety, dividend progress, and complete return fairly than disruptive progress shares. 

The Certain Dividend E-newsletter is its flagship premium publication. It’s the main focus of this Certain Dividend assessment.

The flagship publication might be subscribed to individually or bundled as a part of the Certain Dividend Professional Plan with 4 different newsletters: The Certain Retirement E-newsletter, The Certain Passive Earnings E-newsletter, The High 10 Dividend Elite Service, and The High 10 REITs Service (actual property funding trusts).

I’ve been a paying subscriber of Certain Dividend for greater than 4 years. I take advantage of the varied companies to assist slender the universe of dividend shares that I contemplate for my portfolio.

It’s value the fee to me. This text explains why. 

Unique pricing for RBD readers is detailed under.

Certain Dividend has grown from a humble weblog to one of the crucial acknowledged inventory newsletters for income-focused buyers. 

The corporate now has greater than 9,000 premium members. 

Who Is Certain Dividend For?

Certain Dividend’s audience is buyers seeking to construct passive revenue via dividend shares.

These buyers are usually nearer to retirement age (50+), however the service might also enchantment to youthful long-term dividend buyers occupied with passive revenue. 

Market Index funds are ample for most individuals — buyers don’t want to purchase particular person shares. 

Nevertheless, the overall market and blue-chip index funds usually yield under 2%. 

For these seeking to enhance the revenue yield on their funding {dollars}, shopping for particular person dividend shares can do the job. 

Due to this fact, the Certain Dividend E-newsletter and different merchandise are greatest suited to these trying past index funds and bonds to generate dependable retirement revenue and dividend progress.

The Certain Dividend Professional Plan is beneficial for “clever buyers with $50,000+ portfolios”. It’s the greatest worth for subscribers.

The Certain Dividend E-newsletter is designed for “clever buyers with $10,000+ portfolios and people simply beginning their dividend progress journey.”

E-newsletter Walkthrough

The Certain Dividend E-newsletter is a 50+ web page PDF despatched to your electronic mail each month. The publication arrives within the morning on the primary Sunday. 

Once I obtain mine, I normally learn the opening article, take a look at the High 10 Record, then flag the e-mail and return to it after I’m researching shares at my pc. 

Every month, the publication comprises ten inventory suggestions and greater than 850 dividend safety and danger rankings.

On this part, I’ll rapidly go over pricing after which stroll via the month-to-month publication sections. Extra detailed pricing is under. 

Be aware: Screenshots are taken from the August 2020 model of the publication to keep away from revealing latest proprietary data. The information is outdated, however you’ll see how the publication is structured. 

You may attempt the Certain Dividend E-newsletter for a 7-day trial to get the newest variations and cancel should you don’t prefer it. You received’t be charged till after the 7-day trial is full. Cancel your subscription at any time.

The common worth for the Certain Dividend E-newsletter is $29 monthly. RBD readers pay $9.25 monthly by utilizing the button under or the Certain Dividend coupon code “RBD1975“.

Begin your 7-Day Free Trial

Video Walkthrough

Opening Ideas

Every month-to-month version begins with a gap article about present market situations, dividend investing fundamentals, superior evaluation, or a have a look at historic information.

Most have a chart or information desk included. 

Some latest Opening Ideas articles embody:

• The Dividend Kings & COVID-19
• Shopping for When Others Are Promoting
• Did the U.S. Inventory Market Underreact to the COVID-19 Pandemic?
• Why Make investments In Dividend Shares?
• Inspecting Our Promote Suggestions
• The Market’s Valuation Now
• On Payout Ratios

These are insightful and not more than 400 phrases — straightforward to soak up Sunday morning. 

The Certain Dividend High 10 Record

The subsequent part is undoubtedly the most well-liked, the Certain Dividend High 10 Record. 

Right here’s the way it appears to be like. Be aware: These suggestions are from August 2020 and are proven for illustrative functions. 

A few of the key fields within the High 10 Record embody:

• Dividend Threat Rating – A proprietary score on dividend security
• Dividend Yield
• Payout Ratio – A favourite metric for dividend buyers, the proportion of earnings paid to shareholders
• Anticipated Progress – The anticipated annualized dividend progress price
• Anticipated Complete Return (ETR)

A few of these values are precise (e.g., worth, yield); others are derived from information and evaluation (e.g., ETR).

On the backside, there’s an equal-weighted High 10 Record comparability to proudly owning the S&P 500 by way of SPY.  

When you observe the Certain Dividend investing technique over time, you possibly can count on to earn a better dividend yield than the SPY. Anticipated returns aren’t any assure of future outcomes. 

The High 10 Record is a wonderful place to start out should you’re in search of new funding concepts. Decide your favourite and full due diligence, or observe the Portfolio Shopping for Information (under) to diversify your portfolio over time. 

Evaluation of High 10 Securities

The subsequent part is a deep dive into every of the High 10 Record shares, normally three pages lengthy per suggestion. The deep dive features a narrative, monetary assertion information tables, and a dividend yield historical past chart.

That’s 30 pages of study. 

For this part, the screenshots come from the August 2020 version and the Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) suggestion.

Evaluation Narrative

The evaluation begins with a page-long narrative that features:

• Overview & Present Occasions
• Aggressive Benefits & Recession Efficiency
• Progress Prospects, Valuation, & Catalyst

The narrative explains the conviction, which incorporates quantitative and qualitative information factors. 

On the backside, there’s an information desk with key statistics, ratios, and metrics to help the conviction.

Right here is the Walgreens Boots Alliance desk within the August 2020 version. 

Monetary Knowledge Tables

Subsequent, are three tables displaying ten years of knowledge. The tables are Earnings Assertion metrics, Steadiness Sheet metrics, and Profitability and Per Share metrics. 

I don’t use these tables a lot for my analysis, however I discover them fascinating to see long-term tendencies.

Dividend Yield Historical past Chart

Lastly, there’s a dividend yield historical past chart for every inventory within the High 10 Record. I like this chart as a result of it exhibits, in a single view, the correlation between worth and yield.

Suggestions typically level to a latest divergence, which can point out a price alternative.

When the worth goes down, the yield rises, a elementary dividend investing idea.

Dividend buyers can obtain greater yields by in search of decrease costs, and maximizing revenue from funding {dollars} when the shares are towards low historic valuations. 

Mixed with dividend security, qualitative evaluation, and most of the metrics specified by the info desk, buyers can construct assured positions which might be more likely to proceed to pay and develop dividends over time. 

Closing Ideas

The Closing Ideas web page is just like the Opening Ideas part. They’re typically longer however typically include a chart to help the story.

Each month, the Closing Ideas part finishes by saying when the following situation will attain your electronic mail and an funding recommendation disclaimer. 

Actual Cash Portfolio

Within the January 2019 version of the Certain Dividend E-newsletter, the service began a real-money portfolio to purchase their suggestions and observe the efficiency over time. 

Every month they make investments $1,000 within the highest-ranked safety within the High 10 Record that they both don’t personal or personal the least quantity. 

The true-money portfolio is designed to point out the progress of constructing and sustaining a dividend progress portfolio utilizing the Certain Dividend Methodology. 

They don’t purchase shares that push the portfolio over 30% in anyone sector to stop over-concentration and keep diversification. 

The portfolio will maintain 30 securities max. As soon as the portfolio reaches 30 securities, it can purchase the highest-ranked safety already within the portfolio, as much as 10% of its worth.

Promote standards are the identical as suggestions within the publication. 

Dividend investing is usually extra about revenue than complete return.

The yield and worth of the portfolio holdings are highlighted clearly, however it doesn’t examine annualized returns to the S&P 500 returns over the portfolio’s life.

Higher efficiency information to incorporate portfolio compound annual progress price (CAGR) can be an space for enchancment for this part. 

Shopping for & Rating Standards

The Shopping for & Rating Standards web page has been constant over many editions of the Certain Dividend E-newsletter.

Right here’s how Certain Dividend chooses its High 10 Record:

1. Filter our Certain Evaluation Analysis Database universe of securities for:
   • 10%+ Anticipated Complete Returns
   • A & B Dividend Threat Scores
   • U.S. securities solely (no worldwide securities, REITs, MLPs, or BDCs, and so on.)
   • All firms should have their dividend coated by money flows
2. Kind by Anticipated Complete Returns (highest first)
3. Not more than three firms per sector
4. Veto any securities from the High 10 Record as needed after qualitative evaluation
5. The High 10 Record is the ten highest Anticipated Complete Returns securities from steps 1 via 4
6. “A” Dividend Threat Rating securities rank forward of “B” Dividend Threat Rating securities throughout the High 10 Record

To obtain an “A” Dividend Threat Rating, a safety should be within the prime 20% for dividend security. To obtain a “B” Dividend Threat Rating, a safety should be within the prime 40% for dividend security.

The system for the Dividend Threat Rating is under:

Dividend Threat Rating (Uncooked) = Payout Ratio x 100 – # Years of Regular or Rising Dividends + 50

We view securities with “A” and “B” Dividend Threat Scores as usually having safe dividends which might be impossible to be diminished within the close to future.

Portfolio Constructing Information

I take advantage of the Certain Dividend E-newsletter primarily for thought era and danger rankings. However the service additionally gives a shopping for information for buyers in search of a primary technique to purchase beneficial shares. 

The technique is straightforward. 

Purchase the top-rated inventory within the High 10 Record that you just don’t at present personal. When you already personal all ten, purchase the inventory you personal the least.

Right here’s the illustration for August 2020:

Previous Suggestions & Sells

The subsequent part comprises a big desk with the bought and unsold earlier suggestions from the previous 6+ years. Efficiency is measured in opposition to the S&P 500 utilizing the SPY index ETF. 

This desk offers a transparent view of how the person suggestions have carried out by Complete Return and CAGR. It additionally contains an up to date dividend danger rating and 5-year anticipated returns. 

Concerning gross sales, the Certain Dividend E-newsletter has two promote guidelines. 

Promote Rule #1 — Dividend-Primarily based Promote Guidelines: Any previous suggestion that reduces or eliminates its dividend is robotically a pending promote. We assessment and analyze these securities to find out when to provoke the ultimate sale. Secondly, any previous suggestion with an “F” Dividend Threat Rating is reviewed as a possible promote.

Promote Rule #2 — Valuation-Primarily based Promote Guidelines: Promote previous suggestions with anticipated complete returns under the anticipated complete returns of the S&P 500 over the following a number of years. This promote rule replaces our earlier valuation-based promote rule of promoting securities with an adjusted P/E ratio of 40 or greater.

E-newsletter authors situation a “pending sale” for shares earlier than issuing a last promote suggestion. After a inventory has a pending sale, they advise ready for an inexpensive exit worth nearer to honest worth. 

Promote suggestions are one space that’s much less aligned with my dividend investing technique.

Trying over the listing of latest gross sales, I see a number of high-quality dividend progress shares and Dividend Aristocrats that I nonetheless personal and have appreciated considerably because the promote date.

I received’t cherry-pick the listing. However on the whole, as somebody who has aimed to personal high-quality firms for many years, I take advantage of the promote suggestions as one other information level in my portfolio upkeep evaluation, however I don’t observe it.

The Certain Dividend Passive Earnings E-newsletter focuses extra on buy-and-hold perpetually shares. 

Record of Securities by Dividend Threat Rating and by Sector

The Dividend Threat Rating part lists all 600+ shares within the Certain Dividend Analysis Database and ranks them. 

It teams shares into 5 danger scores, A, B, C, D, and F. 

The highest 120 most secure shares are in group A. The subsequent 120 most secure shares are in group B, and so forth. 

Inside every group, the listing is sorted by Anticipated Complete Returns. These rankings don’t essentially align with the High 10 Record, which considers sectors and qualitative evaluation. 

The subsequent part breaks the rankings a step additional by sector. 

The sector lists assist generate funding concepts for secure shares should you’re seeking to bulk your portfolio’s publicity to a selected sector.

Decide a sector and select a low-risk inventory for additional analysis. Or search the PDF for any dividend inventory image to seek out the place it ranks amongst comparable firms. 

The eleven sectors are:

• Primary Supplies
• Communication Providers
• Shopper Cyclical
• Shopper Defensive
• Vitality
• Monetary Providers
• Healthcare
• Industrials
• Actual Property
• Expertise
• Utilities

Execs: Certain Dividend E-newsletter

The Certain Dividend E-newsletter is a supplemental analysis software. Use it to keep away from investing alone, however don’t solely depend on it for inventory purchases.

Like several suggestion or publication, it’s not a substitute for due diligence. 

When you’re investing hundreds of {dollars} a yr in particular person shares, it helps to have a second opinion past free web content material. 

The High 10 Record is the premium content material. It highlights the cream of the crop, narrowing your seek for investable new holdings.

Certain Dividend makes use of a structured rules-based strategy, so that you don’t must construct your individual methodology to seek out new concepts.

The Dividend Threat Rating is one other professional as a result of any time you wish to purchase a high-quality dividend inventory, it’s probably within the 600+ listing.

Examine the danger rating earlier than deploying capital. If it’s under a C, you could discover a extra appropriate best-of-breed inventory in the identical sector. 

Lastly, the Certain Dividend group consists of a number of finance writers who do that for a residing, bringing you insightful articles from completely different views which might be straightforward to digest. 

Cons: Certain Dividend E-newsletter

The promote guidelines have been a bit aggressive for my style since late 2018. Most profitable dividend buyers maintain for many years, not years. They don’t like promoting wonderful firms, even when they’re going via powerful occasions. 

It seems Promote Rule #2 was lately up to date, so we’ll see in the event that they proceed to suggest promoting top-notch shares as a result of excessive valuations. 

Within the Evaluation of High 10 Securities, the monetary information desk is an information dump fairly than an extra evaluation. Although it’s fascinating to view tendencies, the Evaluation Narrative and Dividend Yield Historical past Chart are extra helpful. 

Lastly, I’d wish to see higher efficiency transparency within the Actual Cash Portfolio part. This might inform a brand new investor if following their portfolio-building technique is working.

Later within the publication, particular person inventory suggestion worth efficiency information is listed, however not as a lot for the Actual Cash Portfolio.

As a portfolio-building information, there’s extra story to be informed for potential followers.

Dividend investing is completely different than the Motley Idiot publication methods (disruptive progress), so buyers shouldn’t count on comparable returns.

However the Idiot is extra meticulous and clear in regards to the efficiency of your complete portfolio of suggestions over time. 

Certain Dividend may implement comparable efficiency reporting for higher transparency. However with ten suggestions monthly, it’s a extra tedious effort to trace all of them.  

Certain Dividend Professional Plan Pricing

Right here’s all the things you get with the Certain Dividend Professional Plan:

The Certain Dividend E-newsletter — The Certain Dividend flagship publication focuses on high-quality dividend progress shares buying and selling at honest or higher costs. It publishes on the first Sunday of the month. It contains every part as described on this Certain Dividend assessment. 

You can too subscribe to only the Certain Dividend E-newsletter for $9.25 monthly. Use Certain Dividend Coupon Code “RBD1975”. 

The Certain Retirement E-newsletter — Focuses completely on securities with 4%+ dividend yields, together with shares, REITs, MLPs, and BDCs. It publishes on the 2nd Sunday of the month.

The Certain Passive Earnings E-newsletter — Focuses on ‘purchase and maintain perpetually’ dividend shares. Its purpose is to purchase as soon as and by no means promote for really passive rising revenue over the long term. It publishes on the third Sunday of the month.

High 10 Dividend Elite Service — Analyzes the High 10 dividend shares with 25+ years of rising dividends each month. It publishes on the first Sunday of the month.

High 10 REITs Service — Analyzes the High 10 REITs each month. It publishes on the 2nd Sunday of the month.

The common worth of the Certain Dividend Professional Plan is $499.

Use the button or the Certain Dividend coupon code “RBD100S” to save lots of $100 yearly and get the discounted worth of solely $399 per yr. 

You may attempt the Certain Dividend Professional Plan for a 7-day trial to get prompt entry to the most recent newsletters. You received’t be charged till after the 7-day trial is full.

Begin your 7-Day Free Trial

Please be aware: RBD is an affiliate associate with Certain Dividend. When you join a service utilizing hyperlinks on this web page or use the Certain Dividend coupon code “RBD100S”, RBD can be compensated. 

Extra Newsletters

As said within the introduction, this Certain Dividend assessment focuses totally on the flagship Certain Dividend E-newsletter, which is certainly one of 5 parts of the Certain Dividend Professional Plan.

The opposite newsletters within the bundle observe the same format tailor-made to the particular funding targets. 

Right here is extra details about the opposite newsletters within the Certain Dividend Professional Plan bundle. 

The Certain Retirement E-newsletter

This product makes use of information from the Certain Evaluation Analysis Database to seek out and rank high quality dividend progress shares with 4%+ yields — so that you spend money on high-yield dividend progress shares buying and selling at honest or higher costs.

Every month you get the High 10 greatest 4%+ yielding high quality revenue securities, plus actionable purchase and promote suggestions and a portfolio-building information. 

Particularly, The Certain Retirement E-newsletter recommends securities that usually have the next traits:

• 4%+ yields solely (typically greater)
• Securities more likely to pay regular or rising dividends into the longer term
• Securities buying and selling at or under honest worth
• Securities with robust anticipated complete return potential

Moreover specializing in greater yields, the primary distinction from the Certain Dividend E-newsletter is the Certain Retirement E-newsletter additionally recommends REITs and grasp restricted partnerships (MLPs, each defined on this visitor submit by Certain Dividend author Bob Ciura). 

The Certain Dividend E-newsletter yields are usually decrease than 4% on common however show greater long-term progress.

The Certain Dividend Passive Earnings E-newsletter

The shares beneficial in The Certain Passive Earnings E-newsletter are supposed to be bought as soon as and by no means bought. 

Regular revenue and revenue progress are key parts of economic freedom via passive revenue. 

Rising passive revenue supplies the bottom for a secure and safe retirement as a result of revenue progress counteracts the wealth damaging-effects of inflation.

The publication prioritizes progress and long-term security, with dividend yields that exceed the S&P 500’s for every suggestion.

The Certain Passive Earnings E-newsletter has all the things it’s essential construct your rising passive revenue portfolio, together with an in depth evaluation of the High 10 ‘perpetually’ passive revenue shares every month and a to-the-point portfolio-building information.

High 10 Dividend Elite Service

This service supplies suggestions on the High 10 dividend shares every month with 25+ years of rising dividends. It publishes on the first Sunday of the month.

The Dividend Elite Service is a part of the Certain Dividend Professional Plan. 

This article has much less element and quantitative evaluation than the Certain Dividend E-newsletter. It supplies ten suggestions and a story of the funding thesis of every.

However is lighter on information and charts, excludes opening and shutting ideas, and promote suggestions. 

High 10 REITs Service

The High 10 REITs Service analyzes the High 10 REITs each month. It publishes on the 2nd Sunday of the month.

It’s included within the Certain Dividend Professional Plan. 

The publication has the same format to the High 10 Dividend Elite Service however focuses completely on actual property funding trusts (REITs).

The Certain Evaluation Analysis Database

The Certain Evaluation Analysis Database contains well timed, detailed analyses of over 850 dividend shares. 

The service supplies detailed complete return estimates for every inventory. It ranks all shares by anticipated complete returns — supplying you with the facility to see the very best anticipated complete return dividend shares at any time and avoiding the worst.

It additionally features a portfolio monitoring software. Import your inventory portfolio symbols and share numbers to know precisely how a lot dividend revenue you’ll obtain every month and yr.

I extremely suggest this software, its the very best dividend monitoring spreadsheet I’ve ever used.

Certain Dividend codecs the database right into a spreadsheet, making it straightforward for customers to edit and manipulate. 

The Certain Evaluation Analysis Database subscription additionally contains entry to all 5 premium newsletters.

The value is $999 yearly. There could also be a waitlist to affix.

Is it Well worth the Value?

Certain Dividend is a wonderful useful resource for revenue buyers seeking to construct secure dividend revenue for retirement. 

New buyers simply getting began ought to first contemplate whether or not index investing is ample for his or her wants. 

Particular person inventory investing requires extra analysis past a publication High 10 listing. Earlier than proudly owning particular person shares, determine if in case you have the time and information to carry out the mandatory analysis. 

When you do, I like to recommend inventory newsletters for investing inspiration and extra information factors to your analysis. 

The Certain Dividend E-newsletter is greatest for these investing at the least $5,000 per yr into particular person dividend shares. 

You can too go to the archives for lots of of free articles and useful lists. 

The common worth to subscribe to the Certain Dividend Professional Plan is $499. RBD readers pay $399 per yr. Use the button under or Certain Dividend coupon code RBD100S.

Begin your 7-Day Free Trial

The Certain Dividend Golden Rule Dedication

• 7-Day Free Trial – You aren’t billed for seven days.
• 60-Day Full Refund Grace Interval – If the Certain Dividend Providers aren’t best for you anytime in the course of the first 60 days from the date you joined, electronic mail them, and you’ll obtain a full refund; no rationalization is required.
• Prorated Refunds After 60 Days
• Pre-Billing Renewal Notifications – They’ll electronic mail you 5 days earlier than your plan’s annual renewal, so you might be by no means stunned with a renewal cost.
• High-Notch Buyer Service

Thanks for studying this Certain Dividend assessment 2025.

Are you a subscriber? Please share your expertise with the Certain Dividend Newsletters within the feedback under. 

Be aware: The suggestions offered by Certain Dividend don’t mirror the opinions of RBD. Please carry out analysis earlier than investing your cash into these or every other investments. Don’t make investments cash into shares that you just can not afford to lose. Make investments at your individual danger. Chances are you’ll lose some or your entire capital invested.

* Additionally be aware: RBD companions with manufacturers and companies that you could be discover helpful in your individual investing endeavors. As all the time, I solely associate with manufacturers and companies I take advantage of or have absolutely vetted and endorse. I’m a paid subscriber of, and, individually, an affiliate associate with Certain Dividend. When you develop into a paid subscriber via one of many hyperlinks or buttons on this article, RBD can be compensated for the referral. Thanks for supporting this web site. 

Disclosure: The writer is lengthy BMY, WBA, T