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Refresh your income playlist

10 September, 2019

Have you ever listened to songs from your music playlist and thought, “Not again!”? If you have experienced this, you are probably showing signs of fatigue. The same analogy can be used for income-seeking investors who are exploring opportunities beyond their current portfolios, typically comprising high-yielding equities and government bonds.

With rates expected to stay low for longer, where else can investors look to generate sustainable and consistent income?

The good news is that beyond your current universe, there may be other types of income-generating investments that might potentially meet your financial goals. It is therefore an opportune time to review and refresh your income playlist.

1. What constitutes an income playlist?

First, let us understand what “income” really means.

Income is a return that doesn’t come from buying or selling assets. It can take the form of cash dividend, interest or coupon payments (these are the terms used for the money derived from different instruments) that you receive on a regular basis from the investments that you hold.

Sources of income

It is important to grasp a thorough understanding of the various sources of income, not just what you are familiar with (namely high-dividend equities and government bonds):

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Dividend income from equities
 

Interest or coupon payment from bonds
 

Dividend from hybrid securities (e.g. preferred securities1 )
 

Dividend from Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), which by law must distribute their earnings to investors
 

Income from mutual funds in the above-mentioned instruments offering dividend distributions

 

 

These sources of income can be obtained from multiple avenues, across both developed and emerging markets. The yield – which is essentially the annual income derived from an investment, expressed as a percentage of the investment's market value – can vary among different asset classes (see chart), depending on risk levels and the interest rate environment.

The asset classes in the chart below typically distribute income on a regular basis (either monthly, quarterly or semi-annually) during your investment holding period.

2. Key considerations when constructing your income playlist 

As every investment offers both risks and rewards, there is no right or wrong investment to include in your income playlist.

However, it is important to bear in mind that yields should not be the be-all-end-all criteria in your decision-making. After all, each source of income has its own risk-reward profile, and may not be suitable for everyone.

Here are some useful considerations:

Risk tolerance and income target: What is your risk appetite? Would you allocate more money to relatively more conservative investments in exchange for lower income? Or do you have a more aggressive personality to chase after higher income and take on more risks? Bear in mind that a higher yield target may increase your risk exposure.

Correlation among assets: In general, the lower the correlation between the price movements of the different assets in your portfolio, the lower the risks. A classic example is the relationship between bonds and equities which broadly tend to move in opposite directions..

 

Liquidity of assets: When and how quickly do you need your income?

 

Continuous review and timely adjustments: As yields, market conditions and your risk appetite change over time, it is important to review and rebalance your portfolio from time to time.

 

3. Who needs an income playlist?

Regardless of your investment goals, there are always merits to keeping an updated income playlist, particularly if you are:

A retiree seeking to enhance your regular income

 

An investor looking to reduce your portfolio risks amidst all the market volatility

 

An investor targeting to generate potentially higher yields in the current low-rate environment

 


1  Preferred securities are a hybrid of bonds and equities with features from both asset classes. Their bond attributes include a stated par value, regular interest payments and assigned credit ratings by rating agencies. Meanwhile, their common stock characteristics mean they can be perpetual or long-dated. Preferred securities also have a lower priority in capital structure than senior debt but have a higher priority than common stock. Issuers are usually large and highly regulated institutions and/or companies with high stable cash flows such as banks, utilities, and RealEstate Investment Trusts (REITs).

2 Source: Manulife Investment Management, Bloomberg, as of March 2019. Typical yield per annum is based on historical yields for past 15 years. US Treasury refers to 10-year US Treasury; Global Equities refer to MSCI World; Investment grade corporate bond refers to JPMorgan US Investment Grade; Global REITs refer to FTSE EPRA/NAREIT; Preferred securities refer to ICE BofAML Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index; High yield corporate bond refers to JPMorgan Global High Yield Index. A positive distribution yield does not imply a positive return.

  • Your retirement withdrawal strategy—four tips for managing inflation

    When it is time to enjoy what you’ve always dreamed of doing, the retirement planning doesn’t end there. It’s important to regularly review your withdrawal strategy and make adjustments as needed to keep changing economic conditions from throwing you off track. Consider the four tips to help keep inflation from depleting your retirement savings sooner than you expected.

    read more
  • Strike a balance in life, and most importantly, in your portfolio!

    A balanced asset allocation usually provides investors with a smoother investment experience and perhaps helps protect them from selling equities after they have already fallen in price. If you believe that we are likely to enter a period of further economic weakness, we’re likely to be reminded of the importance of bonds in a portfolio.

    read more
  • Risk Diversification

    There is no free lunch. But Risk Diversification comes close in investing. A diversified portfolio was shown to optimize returns with lower volatility in the long run.

    read more
see all
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