Income Investing Results - July 2026

[Flieger]

Starting a new thread for July and start of 2H26! Here's to a prosperous 2nd half of the year!

Holdings heading in to July:

This is how SNOWBALL says things will go moving through the 2H26, but I will make some buys that will impact the 2H26 Div's so should be higher than shown:

Flieger

 

[COcheesehead]

@Flieger thanks for keeping it rolling.

As of this morning with some bond interest due yet today, I am at $167,611 YTD income which is about 16% over my forecast. Some of that overage is just money market interest which I do not attempt to forecast. The rest is a variety of things, dividend capture, one off events.

Still sticking to the plan of broadening the portfolio into more capital preservation and growth, mostly in alternatives.

Muni ladder 35% - we live completely off this income.
Traditional equity 20%
Alternative equity 20%
Fixed income funds 18%
Income CEFs 6%
Cash 1% or less

 

[Flieger]

Starting off July with Div dump....

Flieger

 

[socca]

time > money and health > wealth.

That said, 2026 YTD investment income is about $330k, including both retirement & non-retirement accounts. This is about 40% federal tax-exempt. I also have some income from what's left of the family biz (not much compared to several years ago).

 

[marko]

Still on track for 24% of the portfolio taking in 146% of my spending needs via dividends.

Just one CEF, a floating bank rate and a high yield bond fund pays all the bills plus extra to sock away/reinvest.

 

[junkanoo]

Starting a new thread for July and start of 2H26! Here's to a prosperous 2nd half of the year!

Holdings heading in to July:

View attachment 64604

This is how SNOWBALL says things will go moving through the 2H26, but I will make some buys that will impact the 2H26 Div's so should be higher than shown:

View attachment 64605

Flieger

First, good luck with the new business opportunity.

From last month's thread on this subject, you mentioned that you would be living on 80 percent of these distributions and reinvesting 20%. Which begs the question, why pay taxes on 20% of this when you could just right-size based on your income needs?

Just for discussion purposes, let's say you've held PHK for five years. You could sell it, taking your LT loss, apply $3K of the loss toward lowering your taxable income and purchase a stock with a qualified dividend (with a lower dividend yield)? After all, once SS hits, you're either going to pay a lot in taxes or get rid of some of these non-qualified dividends anyway.

So, why not start working toward that now, making progress toward that goal, while not paying taxes on income you don't need?

 

[Flieger]

First, good luck with the new business opportunity.

From last month's thread on this subject, you mentioned that you would be living on 80 percent of these distributions and reinvesting 20%. Which begs the question, why pay taxes on 20% of this when you could just right-size based on your income needs?

Just for discussion purposes, let's say you've held PHK for five years. You could sell it, taking your LT loss, apply $3K of the loss toward lowering your taxable income and purchase a stock with a qualified dividend (with a lower dividend yield)? After all, once SS hits, you're either going to pay a lot in taxes or get rid of some of these non-qualified dividends anyway.

So, why not start working toward that now, making progress toward that goal, while not paying taxes on income you don't need?

Thanks, but that did not pan out. Primarily because they wanted more of my time than I am willing to give.

I don't think you can do that inside an IRA which is where this all occurs.

Flieger

 

[junkanoo]

Thanks, but that did not pan out. Primarily because they wanted more of my time than I am willing to give.

I don't think you can do that inside an IRA which is where this all occurs.

Flieger

Ahh ... when you said "income investing" in the June thread, I thought you meant it in the traditional sense. Versus just becoming taxable income upon an IRA distribution.

 

[AG-YH]

Quiet month for distribution changes:

Distribution Hikes:

Calamos Global Dyn Income (CHW): +20.0% to $0.06

Calamos Global Total Return (CGO): +12.5% to $0.09

Calamos Strategic Total Return (CSQ): +10.2% to $0.135

EV Sr Floating Rate: +4.55% to $0.069

EV Sr Income (EVF): +3.2% to $0.032

Distribution Cuts:

EV Floating Rate Inc (EFT): -1.5% to $0.066

 

[AG-YH]

Took profits in FTHY, BKT, SDHY, and some of my EDD position.

Rotated shares from FFC to FLC given the swap opportunity (2+ sigma variance in discounts).

Also took a flyer on JLS.

 

[Flieger]

Quiet month for distribution changes:

Distribution Hikes:

Calamos Global Dyn Income (CHW): +20.0% to $0.06

Calamos Global Total Return (CGO): +12.5% to $0.09

Calamos Strategic Total Return (CSQ): +10.2% to $0.135

EV Sr Floating Rate: +4.55% to $0.069

EV Sr Income (EVF): +3.2% to $0.032

Distribution Cuts:

EV Floating Rate Inc (EFT): -1.5% to $0.066

Took a look, and the only ones I saw change (up or down) were the CC funds.

Flieger

 

[Fishmasterdan]

Starting a new thread for July and start of 2H26! Here's to a prosperous 2nd half of the year!

Holdings heading in to July:

View attachment 64604

This is how SNOWBALL says things will go moving through the 2H26, but I will make some buys that will impact the 2H26 Div's so should be higher than shown:

View attachment 64605

Flieger

Thank you for keeping this going. I am curious if you have had much capital erosion ?? If you stared with 1m how much did it gain or lose?

 

[Flieger]

Thank you for keeping this going. I am curious if you have had much capital erosion ?? If you stared with 1m how much did it gain or lose?

I just look at and share it as percentages. That's what is in the graph below, Cost Basis of Portfolio tracking. Remember that this is after WD's which are high until SS (unusually high due to some "extra" spending this year.... If I were to look at it assuming no WD's, I would have "added" about $38k to the Cost Basis out of the $52k Divs I got, so you can do the math on the decrease in value of the investments.

Flieger

 

[YellowSubmarine]

 

[YellowSubmarine]

View attachment 64674

Bond coupon and security distributions cover 200% of my 2025 actual expenses as of July 1, 2026 or 145% of my annual projected budget/allowance for 2026.

 

[COcheesehead]

I have roughly 40% in equities, 60% fixed income. That generates almost 3 times our annual expenses. I had our income up over $400,000/year at one point, but I found myself too dedicated - myopic- to income generation without having a need for it, hence my updated plan for greater diversification.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

I have roughly 40% in equities, 60% fixed income. That generates almost 3 times our annual expenses. I had our income up over $400,000/year at one point, but I found myself too dedicated - myopic- to income generation without having a need for it, hence my updated plan for greater diversification.

Good job...you're firing on all cylinders. I can get there if I include SS, fracking royalties and maturing bonds; but that would be all in vain. A surplus is just that...maybe needed down the road but not now.

 

[ncbill]

I don't think you can do that inside an IRA which is where this all occurs.

Flieger

But don't you have a significant amount in taxable as well?

I thought that's why you use tax-efficient ETFs such as QQQI.

 

[Flieger]

But don't you have a significant amount in taxable as well?

I thought that's why you use tax-efficient ETFs such as QQQI.

Nope. Almost all in IRA, HSA or Roth IRA. I just like QQQI (for the time being).

Flieger

 

[Waynew]

Starting a new thread for July and start of 2H26! Here's to a prosperous 2nd half of the year!

Holdings heading in to July:

View attachment 64604

This is how SNOWBALL says things will go moving through the 2H26, but I will make some buys that will impact the 2H26 Div's so should be higher than shown:

View attachment 64605

Flieger

I have seen continued increased dividends from my long-term holdings. VYM is my largest holding, but I'm more focused on individual equities because I like getting options income from my investments. I should easily hit $350K in regular and "synthetic" options dividends this year.

 

[Flyfish1]

I have seen continued increased dividends from my long-term holdings. VYM is my largest holding, but I'm more focused on individual equities because I like getting options income from my investments. I should easily hit $350K in regular and "synthetic" options dividends this year.

As my son in law would say "crushing it" . Nice work @Waynew

 

[Flyfish1]

Strong up day for BDC's - let's hope that continues!