The Retiree's Dividend Portfolio - Jane's March Update - Dividend Increases Galore

This article was longer than expected but the reason why is because so many companies paid increased dividends during the month of March (I think we can all agree that this is a great reason for an article to be longer than normal).
We continue to see mixed reports with a number of companies easily beating or missing when it comes to their earnings reports. One of the most profound news items in the last 10 days included reports that United States GDP was of 3.2% compared with the same point last year. Although this is considered to be a major win for those who continue to be bullish there are real threats to the current environment that include:
Inflation Interest Rates (potential increases) Trade War Negotiations (with China specifically) All of these items are worth considering as an investor but one index I have found particularly helpful in the past is the VIX index that represents the market's expectation of 30-day forward-looking volatility. The main reason that I found the VIX index to be helpful is that a major jump in the index can have a profound impact on the market. The impact of the VIX when compared with the S&P over a 10-year period shows that significant short-term drops in the S&P 500 coincide with major/significant spikes in the VIX index.
Data by YCharts
I believe that investor fear/uncertainty is absolutely critical when deciding how to invest. In the case of Jane, her portfolio is subject to slightly more risk than her husband John's... Read more