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This blog was inspired by a conversation I had with my father recently.
He asked if I had enough money because I have been quite ill in recent weeks and he wondered if I lacked money to see a doctor.
As we grow older, we will find ourselves falling sick to the strangest things sometimes.
Anyway, I had a very bad eczema flare up which affected my arms, legs and torso.
I thought I was very careful with the steroid cream but I still suffered withdrawal symptoms.
Anyway, with the weather warming now, I hope to get better soon.
Anyway, I told my dad how much money I am making although I am unemployed.
OK, more accurately, I am economically inactive since I am not seeking employment.
To the old man, unemployed and economically inactive mean the same thing.
AK is jobless.
Anyway, he found it unbelievable his jobless son had the kind of income that he said he had.
That conversation plus my recent blog on having too little passive income got me wondering how much money have I made from dividends and distributions alone thus far as an investor for income?
Of course, it won't be the first time I am doing this.
Back in January 2020, I had a blog which revealed I made $1.5 million in 10 plus years of investing for income.
That $1.5 million did not take into account any capital gains or losses.
That also did not include outsized distributions from Saizen REIT, Croesus Retail Trust and Religare Health Trust which, to be fair, were more like capital gains which I account for separately.
For sure, that $1.5 million did not include interest income received from my CPF account.
That $1.5 million made from investing for income for about 10 years was just from adding all the regular dividends and distributions.
Now, it has been 3 years since that blog was published.
What is the updated number?
Without including the outsized distribution from Accordia Golf Trust in 2020, how much passive income have I received as an investor for income in a bit more than 13 years?
About $2 million.
So, in the last 3 years, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and despite not having an earned income, my passive income has held up quite well, by my own assessment.
I remind myself that my investment portfolio has morphed from being very concentrated in higher yielding REITs to being less so.
This has resulted in a lower average dividend and distribution yield at the portfolio level.
Without an earned income, I consume most of my passive income and I did buy a car a few years ago.
I must also remember that a not insignificant part of my passive income is funneled into my CPF account annually, hitting the annual contribution limit without mandatory contributions.
I won't go into that as this blog is about passive income received as an investor for income.
It isn't a blog about my net worth, which long time readers of ASSI know isn't something I have ever talked to myself about.
It is unlikely I would ever talk about my net worth because ASSI is about generating passive income and achieving financial freedom.
Talking about my net worth is not going to inspire anyone to achieve financial freedom.
Staying invested in bona fide income generating assets has, in a bit more than 13 years, generated $2 million for me in passive income.
Want to achieve financial freedom but still doubtful you can do it?
Unless we are severely disadvantaged, most of us can achieve financial freedom in Singapore.
If AK can do it, so can you!
(As usual, I have included links to references which might be enlightening at the end of the blog.)
References:
1. Made $1.5m investing for income.
2. Too little passive income.
3. When can I quit my full time job?
4. Inflation and passive income.
5. 4Q 2022 passive income.
6. $1.1m in CPF savings.
7. Growing passive income.
Flashback to 2016:
AK's passive income strategy.
Flashback to 2015:
How did AK achieve financial freedom?
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