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INDUSTRY INSIGHT YOUR FINANCES SPONSORED CONTENT How Will You Replace Your Income in Retirement? T oday, most retirement investors have saved through an Employer Retirement Plan, usually a 401(k). The 401(k)s are great for building a nest egg in your working years, but when it comes time for living off that nest egg, how do you go about it? Traditional portfolio management theory would point to the “4 Percent Rule,” which states that you can safely withdraw 4 percent of your portfolio per year and have it last 30 years without depleting your principal. The reality is, this rule doesn’t apply to everyone. You may even require a much larger amount than 4% to live on in retirement, especially in your “Go-Go” years where enhanced living expenses, such as traveling, are highly important to you. What if instead of relying on the price return of the stock market, we focused on the dividend return of companies that have a strong track record of growing dividend payments? Dividend Growth investing can truly build wealth over time and provide the income you need in retirement. At McKinley Carter Wealth Services, we build such portfolios using criteria we call Dividend Focus. In this portfolio, we focus on only those companies that have a strong track record of rewarding shareholders with increasing dividends and those that will likely continue to have the ability to do so in the future. Our mission is to provide our clients with the resources necessary to Invest in Their Good Life. Visit our website for the full article on Dividend Growth Investing (http://blog.mckinleycarter.com), including a case study analysis. Who We Are… • As fiduciaries – serving your best interests and avoiding conflicts of interest • As financial strategists and coordinators – helping you design and take the actions needed to take the best possible care of your total financial situation • As astute observers of markets, politics, technology, and demographics – helping you assess the impact of global forces on your assets, your community, and your peace of mind Dividend payments are far more predictable and reliable than a stock’s return. It’s nearly impossible to predict what the stock price of Johnson & Johnson will be next year, but it’s highly likely the company will raise its dividend, like it has for the past 50 years. At its core, a dividend is a distribution of a company’s profits to shareholders. Dividends tell you the real story behind the profitability of a business. Companies that consistently reward shareholders through rising dividend payments are typically well-run, shareholder- friendly, profitable businesses. Being able to consistently increase the dividend suggests that the earnings of the company are relatively stable. Furthermore, if we’re able to identify Dividend Growers, we could achieve outperformance and lower volatility. What good is superior performance if you can’t sleep at night? Historically, Dividend Growth stocks have shown to be less volatile than non-dividend payers and have outperformed over the long run, especially in down markets. Far too many investors view risk as the day-to-day volatility of their portfolio. While this is true, it’s also important to pay attention to the other risk that sometimes goes unnoticed: Longevity Risk (a.k.a. outliving your money in retirement). Stocks have a higher historical return than bonds and provide you with a greater chance of Living Your Good Life, if you can tolerate the added price volatility. McKinley Carter Wealth Services 100 Bradford Road, Suite 400 Wexford, PA 15090 724-940-4400 mc-ws.com McKinley Carter Wealth Services, Inc. (“McKinley Carter”) is an SEC-registered investment adviser. For additional information about McKinley Carter, including fees and services, send for our disclosure brochure as set forth on Form ADV using the contact information herein. Please read the disclosure brochure carefully before you invest or send money. This Industry Insight was written by Jonathan Thomas, CMT. Jonathan is a Financial Strategist in the Wexford office of McKinley Carter, where he works primarily with individuals and families to attain their financial goals. He particularly enjoys investment management and has a penchant for asset allocation, equity research, and technical analysis. He uses his expertise to help clients identify their financial goals and needs, and designs appropriate financial investment strategies. NORTH ALLEGHENY ❘ SUMMER 2018 19