Thrugelmir;241219 wrote:Jimmy Page;241217 wrote:Thrugelmir;241215 wrote:Keith Cobby;241188 wrote:Harry Trout;241173 wrote:Keith Cobby;241151 wrote: How you are intending to maintain the buying power of the dividends. If the annual increases in the dividends declared fail to match your personal rate of inflation?
Clearly can't speak for anyone else, but in our case by
1. Pitching year 1 yield at something 'sensible' with a core of ITs who had a history of well covered annual increases.
2. Pitching withdrawals below dividend income year 1. Excess added to cash reserves within the account.
3. Increasing withdrawals annually by personal inflation (required for non-discretionary spending only). Excess again saved within cash reserves.
Cash reserves have increased significantly over the last ten years - dividends have increased ieo inflation. That, plus the widening gap between dividends and withdrawals has worked ok so far.
Also - option exists to buy an annuity in later life. Or indeed to start running down capital. But so far, so good. No sleepless nights, no selling decisions.
Investment trusts can only distribute what they receive or generate. Whether it be income or cash generated from a realised capital gain. When using retained or capital reserves to provide an increasing dividend.
Shareholders are simply receiving their own money back. As there's a corresponding drop in NAV.
My question was posed looking into the future. Been an easy ride for investors for the past 12 years. The next decade is likely to be far more challenging. With assumptions around sequential risk severely challenged. There's a first time for everything.
aka drawdown.
However you do it, it's drawdown. Drop in NAV or drop in shares held, it's drawdown. That's retirement for you.
If future market conditions are significantly more challenging, it will significantly challenge any drawdown method. Still 4% from 60/40? If not, what?
My reply described three mitigations we use for 'natural yield'.
If push comes to shove and us pensioners have to reduce withdrawals below personal inflation, I'd prefer it was done by a 'natural' reduction in received dividends than having to decide what reduction, and then what to sell into a significantly challenging down market to achieve it.
This pf covers all day-day spending. Discretionary spends - spending that can be deferred, timed, if necessary to suit the market - is taken from elsewhere.
A quick fag packet check - BNKR have increased dividend every year. (50 years?). Sometimes not to inflation, but has exceeded it over time.
Recent example figures-
CPI over last 5 years 19% (from BoE calculator).
BNKR dividend increase 26.6%. (assuming last divvie 6p)
Year 1 withdrawal less than received dividend, and annual inflation increases thereafter have allowed more and more cash reserves to be built. And the BNKR price is also up 16%.
CPI from 2006 - 54%. BNKR dividends up 148%.
Not waving a flag for BNKR particularly, but figures were reasonably close to hand.