Topics discussed on today's show. Debt vs. No Debt: Some investors prioritize returns and view having no home mortgage as better. However, debt on real estate has its own benefits. Real Estate Appreciation: Real estate generally appreciates over time, offering significant capital gain, especially when debt-free. However, mortgages reduce this gain with interest payments. Debt's Drawbacks: Debt siphons income, limits savings, and can lead to stress, snowballing debts, and repossession. Alternatives: Explore options before debt. If necessary, choose the best rates, prioritize needs, and borrow responsibly. Debt as a Tool: Use debt cautiously, prioritize stability, and understand its long-term consequences. For questions or comments contact me at mail@chasingtheyield.com www.chasingtheyield.com

My annual income increased $25 as a result of dividend increases from Microsoft (+10%), NJR (+7.7%), and 5 other holdings. Meanwhile, there were changes to the Dividend Safety Scores of W. P. Carey, Smucker, and Walgreens. W.P. Carey Surprises With Plan to Exit All Office Properties; Dividend Could Be Reduced by Around 20%. Downgraded to Unsafe • Sep 21 J.M. Smucker to Acquire Hostess Brands, Increasing Leverage. Downgraded to Safe • Sep 12  Leadership Changes, Softening Consumer Spending Suggest Walgreens' Turnaround Struggles Continue. Downgraded to Borderline Safe • Sep 1 Casino Expansion, Higher Rates Weigh on Realty Income; Dividend Coverage Remains Healthy. Safe Rating Reaffirmed • Sep 13  Dominion Nears End of Strategic Review With Gas Utilities Divestiture; Dividend Expected to Remain Flat. Safe Rating Reaffirmed • Sep 7 Enbridge to Become More Diversified Energy Company With Gas Utilities Acquisition; Dividend Remains Safe. Safe Rating Reaffirmed • Sep 6 Brandywine cuts dividend by 21%, as economic headwinds continue to pressure office REITs Fortis increases payout by 4.4%, celebrating 50 consecutive years of annual dividend growth Microsoft hikes dividend by 10%, reaching 14th consecutive year of payout growth W. P. Carey raises dividend by 0.19% Philip Morris ups dividend by a modest 2.4%, balancing deleveraging goals with payout growth Realty Income raises dividend by 0.20%NJR increases dividend by 7.7%, marking 30th increase in 27 years Verizon raises dividend by 1.9%, reaching 17th consecutive year of annual payout growth   For questions or comments contact me at mail@chasingtheyield.com

UGI Mulls Separating Propane Business to Unlock Value, Potentially Causing Jump in Payout Ratio Dominion's Strategic Review Nears End; Firm Remains Committed to Dividend Despite Rising Payout Ratio Labor Inflation and Higher-for-Longer Interest Rates Delay Healthcare Realty's Payout Ratio Improvement Softening Furniture Demand Slows Leggett & Platt's Deleveraging; Free Cash Flow Still Covers Dividend Altria raises dividend by 4.3%, tracking with goal to achieve mid-single-digit payout growth through 2028 Capital Southwest raises dividend by 3.7% and declares $0.06 per share special dividend Illinois Tool Works increases dividend by 6.9%, extending streak of paying higher dividends every year since 1972 Main Street grows dividend by 2.2%, continuing an ongoing commitment to a strong payout Hercules raises dividend by 2.6% and declares $0.08 per share special dividend   For questions or comments contact me at mail@chasingtheyield.com

Dominion Energy has been in the energy business since 1898. It’s one of the biggest utility companies in the U.S. and serves about 7 million customers in Virginia, the Carolinas, Ohio, and Utah electricity and gas. Dominion has steady and predictable income because it is regulated utility. Regulated utilities are like monopolies that are controlled by the government. They spend a lot of money to build and maintain power plants, transmission lines, and distribution networks that cover a large area. The government limits the competition by deciding which companies can build new power plants. And even though regulated utilities are monopolies, they can’t charge whatever they want for their services. The government sets the price in an effort to make it fair for the customers while giving the utility enough incentive to invest in safe and reliable service. Dominion’s main business is Virginia Electric and Power Company, which makes more than half of its profits. It operates in Virginia and North Carolina, two states that have good regulatory environments, according to research group called RRA. These states in which Dominion operates have fast-growing populations and businesses, which makes the regulators want to encourage more infrastructure spending by giving higher returns on capital and allowing higher electric rates over time. South Carolina, where Dominion has its next biggest business, is also one of the fastest-growing states in the country. This helps Dominion grow its income organically. In short, most of Dominion’s utilities have good relationships with the regulators and good prospects for growth. But even though Dominion operates in friendly states, it had to cut its dividend in 2020. This ended a long history of paying dividends without interruption for over 90 years. This happened because Dominion decided to sell its natural gas business, which made about 25% of it

TC Energy, a company that develops and operates energy infrastructure, announced that it plans to spin off its Liquids Pipelines business into a separate company. The decision was made after a two-year strategic review and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2024. The spinoff will create two independent, investment-grade, publicly listed companies that will focus on their own growth objectives and operational excellence. TC Energy will become a diversified natural gas and energy solutions company, while the Liquids Pipelines Company will be a critical infrastructure company that connects supply and demand markets for oil and other liquids. The spinoff will unlock shareholder value by providing both companies with more flexibility and efficiency. The spinoff will also enable both companies to contribute to the energy transition and security by providing reliable, lower-carbon energy sources. The spinoff is anticipated to be achieved on a tax-free basis for TC Energy shareholders. Positives The spinoff will create two independent, investment-grade, publicly listed companies that will focus on their own growth objectives and operational excellence. This will allow investors to choose the company that best suits their risk and return preferences, as well as diversify their portfolio. The spinoff will unlock shareholder value by providing both companies with more flexibility and efficiency. TC Energy will be able to optimize its capital allocation and pursue opportunities in natural gas and energy solutions, while the Liquids Pipelines Company will be able to leverage its existing assets and expand its market access and customer base. Both companies will also benefit from lower costs of capital and improved financial metrics. The spinoff will also enable both companies to contribute to the energy transition and security by providing reliable, lower-carbon energy sources. TC Energy will continue to invest in renewable power generation, hydrogen production, carbon capture and storage, and other emerging technologies. The Liquids Pipelines Company will transport oil and other liquids that are essential for various industries and products, as well as support the development of low-carbon fuels. Both companies will also strive to reduce their en

It's well known that Americans like to buy stuff. I know this first hand being an American with a wife that, I believe, single handedly pulled the United States out of the 2008/2009 Great Recession. Back when my kids were young and we lived in a modest 3 bedroom split-level in a Chicago suburb we rented a storage unit. We stored all our old stuff and seasonal items. We had that unit for about 10 years until we put an addition on to our house which created more space for all our stuff. That broke the cycle of addiction. Storage is so profitable thanks to two key factors: month-to-month leases, in which the rents can be raised on short notice, and human nature. It doesn’t much matter what someone pays when they move in. Most stays outlast introductory rates.  “Statistically, once a customer stays with us for a year, they end up staying for five years,” Public Storage CEO Joseph Russell Jr. said.  Is There a Limit to Americans’ Self-Storage Addiction? Billions of Dollars Say Nope - WSJ (no paywall) As a former addict I can affirm it's much better being on the other side. Instead of paying a storage company to hold my stuff I invest in them others who pay to store their stuff are now paying me. I have a ways to go to break even from a decade of renting a storage unit but every quarter I get a little closer. Storage owners compete fiercely to get customers in the door. They duke it out online with algorithmic one-upmanship and move-in specials. But once someone signs up, the battle for their business is over. “The only thing that competes with an existing customer is the trash

I'm old. 56 to be exact. I didn't start investing my money until I was in my mid 40s. And then I didn't know much about what I wanted to do. I never learned anything about money from my parents and the only courses I took in school were accounting and economics. There was nothing about investing. At first I did what all the financial columnists suggested. I put my money in index funds. And it was fine while I was working. The money grew at a moderate pace but didn't provide me any income. Then I read an article about investing for income and that took me down the rabbit hole of dividend investing. Listen at PodcastIndex.org That one column pushed me to learn about passive income and how it would allow me to live a decent life while leaving the hamster wheel of regular life. I retired from working a 9 to 5 job 4 years ago. Had I known about dividend investing years ago I may have retired much sooner or had a larger nest egg to retire with. Here's what I wish I knew in my 20s. Personal Profit What is personal profit? Personal profit is paying yourself. It's a cliché these days and is called "pay yourself first." Some suggest to set aside 10% of your take-home pay and put in savings or in an investment account. I don't necessarily subscribe to that method. It's easier said than done. Figure out the bare minimum you need to survive then pay yourself out of what remains. The key is to put aside the maximum you can. It will pay dividends (pun intended) later on down the line. It doesn't take a lot of work to figure out what you can pay yourself. You don't even need a computer or smartphone. Start with a piece of paper and put your average paycheck amount at the top. Then start listing your necessary expenses below that. Necessary expenses are expenses you must pay to survive. Think food, clothing, and housing. Then list supplementary expenses. Supplementary expenses are what it sounds like, they supplement your necessary expenses. These are things like utilities a

I'm reviving my podcast. This is a short episode just to bring this back to life. Go to podcastindex.org to learn more about Podcasting 2.0. Download a new podcast app where you can stream payments to me or any other podcaster that has Value4Value enabled. Join me next week where I pick this up on a regular basis. Don't forget to donate to the show or send a boostagram with your new podcast app. Send whatever value you get from this show. Thanks and I look forward to continuing. Podcasting 2.0 This is a Podcasting 2.0 compatible podcast. This means if you're listening to this podcast on a Podcasting 2.0 compatible app you'll have access to transcripts, chapters, and chapter images that accompany each episode. Please go to podcastapps.com to download and support these independent apps and go to podcastindex.org to support Podcasting 2.0. Value 4 Value Podcast Apps Use the apps below to directly support independent podcasters. It's easier than you might think to stream fractions of bitcoins to this podcast or any other podcast that is compatible with the Value 4 Value model. This cuts out the need for advertising. Fountain Podverse Podfans Curiocaster Podfriend Podcast Guru Or go to podcastapps.com to find an app that wo

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