seekingbalance

I am 65 years old. I have been been both managing my portfolio and managing to live off of the capital gains and dividends for the past twenty years. My average yearly return has been 17% over this period. Constant vigilance, hard work and a lot of luck contributed to the results. Now that Social Security has kicked in, albeit not nearly covering my expenses I have decided to cut down both the time and intensity of my efforts. I am willing to give up the home-run stocks that appreciate 1000% although, I must admit, some lucky picks did goose my long term performance. I am now seeking a less volatile portfolio with a goal of returns of 10% a year. I am focusing on a core portfolio of "Quality Dividend Achievers" ...More which are dominant in their industries, have A balance sheets and most, importantly, have raised their dividends for 20+ years. This is the increasing dividend stream section of my holdings. The other element are the "High Yielders". The key to this is that even if dividends don't grow, at least they won't be cut. Of course, no one position can be too large as, inevitably, some will be crash and burn. Losses can then be minimized. If any company in the Quality camp stops raising the dividend, it is sold. Likewise if a High-Yielder cuts the dividend it is sold.