• 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Don't understand about div/cap gains

#1
I have a portfolio that includes FBALX, FCNTX, and FUSVX- in that order of size. So far this year I have made 29,000 in div/cap gains that I always have been reinventing- and will continue to do so until I am 60-65. (am 55)

Question #1: Is it safe to assume that this amount will continue to grow each year  and when I turn off reinvestment, I can make 30,000 a year? Or could I run into a problem with counting on that, and say I make next to nothing in div/cap gains?

Question #2: When you take div/cap gains directly, the share price drops but can still grow right? Then I pay 15% on long term cap gains- but do I again pay tax as a part of my salary?
 
As you can see, I don't know much- hence the dumb questions! Thanks in advance.
  Reply
#2
To answer one of your questions, you pay the same tax on dividends and distributions whether or not they are re-invested or paid directly to you.

When re-invested, it increases your basis in the fund because the taxes will have been paid. Here's some information about Short Term Vs Long Term Capital Gains.
  Reply
#3
 Your 2 larger funds FBALX and FCNTX have the bulk of their distributions(~90%) as Capital Gains so in down market years they quite likely will be severely reduced if there at all.  FUSVX being an Index will be the opposite with the bulk of its distributions being dividends (~90%).  These may continue to increase slowly, but not at the rate they are when you are reinvesting them. 
     The short answer is No, I would not consider that 30K as reliable income.  Some years it could be nowhere close to that.
 
EDIT: Just a note. The share price drops whether you take the distributions or reinvest them.  On the day they reinvest your total investment remains the same, you just have more shares.   If you take them, your share count remains the same and your total investment goes down the amount of the distribution which is reflected by the price drop. Hopefully the share price will go back up over the course of the year, but once again it depends on the market.
  Reply
#4
First of all, you should probably start by taking a look at the holding in the three funds you hold.....there are a lot of the same companies in all three.....It would be a good idea to look for some good funds that are more diversified and try to avoid ones that overlap.
 
Second.....Ask your self the question......Do you think the companies in these funds are just going to keep on going up forever? Probably not if a recession hits.....and if you counting on the dividends and capital gains to pay for your retirement you could end being negatively surprised when a recession comes.
 
Its never too late to learn more about investing.....and questions are not dumb if you don't know the answer.
  Reply
#5
So is it safe to say that div/gains are not reliable forms of income? I see people here boast about their large div/gains forever.
  Reply
#6
(11-29-2018, 10:51 AM)Nords Wrote: So is it safe to say that div/gains are not reliable forms of income? I see people here boast about their large div/gains forever.

If you are looking for reliable, predictable income, buy individual bonds.
  Reply
#7
(11-29-2018, 10:51 AM)Nords Wrote: So is it safe to say that div/gains are not reliable forms of income? I see people here boast about their large div/gains forever.

Like everything in the investing world...everything has risk....some more than others. Chasing large dividends can be risky as companies that pay very high can be more risky....not to say that is true 100% of the time, but generally speaking.
 
But, if you are not having to rely on your portfolio for your retirement as you stated above....then I would go with good quality companies that pay a quality dividend. At this stage of your life you don't want to be risking your hard earned money. There is what they call Dividend Aristocrats....these are companies that have paid good dividends for decades....they are generally strong companies that have a strong balance sheet that can weather the recessions and continue to pay. Ie....the S&P 500 companies have an average dividend payout of about 2%, but you can find many individual companies that pay 3 or 4%, or even more that are fairly secure. Hope this helps.
  Reply
#8
Having a lot in one stock carries more risk.....if something were to happen to that one company then that puts a large portion of your portfolio at risk. Personally I think the 3 funds you list have some risk to it depending upon how much of your overall portfolio these account for due to the overlap of the same companies in all three funds. Even the mighty GE has fallen.
 
If you can give us a better picture of your entire portfolio as too what you own and what you are overweight in, then would be easier to give you a clear answer rather than just generalizing.
  Reply
#9
The normal way to find out about the reliability of distributions would be to look at the historic distributions. But I really can't find more than a few years of history on fidelity.com. Maybe there is another site that has more history for these funds.

FCNTX has done well the last ten years and extremely well in 2017 when it beat the SP500. FCNTX is a growth fund so any dividends are incidental. Its aim is capital appreciation. It will do well when the market is up and will struggle when the market is down. Capital gains will follow.

FBALX may have a better mix of dividends and capital gains distributions but for the past few years its capital gains are more than ten times its dividends.

FUSVX is an SP500 index fund so its dividends should be steady, although maybe not large. Its cap gains will vary like the other funds.
  Reply
#10
I think the question about capital gains has been well-addressed; no, you cannot count on capital gains distributions growing; they can go to zero quickly. Dividends are more steady and much slower to change in response to short-term market conditions, having been planned well in advance as commitments companies makes as a function of earnings

On your second question, not sure I understand the second part; would you also pay tax on your salary? I don't think so; if in a taxable account, you pay the capital gains tax - but there is no secondary taxation. You will pay whatever your AGI dictates, but the capital gains portion is calculated based on those specific gains as a subset of total tax owed.

Perhaps there is a tax-savvy person on this thread who can better explain.

Back to the issue of relying on dividends and cap gains; I'm a big fan of dividends and for a decade they have provided over half of our retirement 'demand' from investment accounts. About 70% at present. This probably won't last, especially with RMDs imminent, but has been good. There are companies that have continued to pay dividends through thick and thin, for decades
  Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)