I decided to create this site and document my investment journey as a way to hold myself accountable. I’ve been consistent with my 401(k) over the years, but outside of that, I’ve never been able to build any lasting investing habits. I’ve dabbled in individual stocks and ETFs, but never stuck with anything. Flip-flopping and overthinking the “best” strategy is a great way to get nowhere. That’s exactly what I’ve done.
Eventually, I landed on dividend growth investing. I like the idea of one day living off dividends without needing to sell shares. It’s simple, and there’s something motivating about watching projected annual dividends grow over time.
Once I made that decision, the next question was how to actually do it. Stock picking sounds fun. Who doesn’t want to be the next Warren Buffett? But the truth is, I’m busy with family and work. I know I won’t consistently research stocks, manage a portfolio, or make regular adjustments based on performance or fundamentals. That type of strategy might work for a few weeks, but it won’t last.
To stick with this for the next 20 years, I need something simple and repeatable. I need a plan that doesn’t require constant maintenance. That’s why I’ve decided to invest in low-cost ETFs. The portfolio balancing is done for me, and I can focus on showing up consistently.
Out of all the options, I’m going with SCHD. SCHD is the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity, which tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index.
It might not be perfect, but it works for me. SCHD focuses on high-quality U.S. companies with strong, consistent dividend growth and solid fundamentals. It has low fees, a reliable yield, and a strong long-term track record.
So that’s it. I’ve made the call. I’m going to buy SCHD every single day for the next 20 years or more and track it here. The goal is simple. Build up a steady stream of dividends that I can eventually use in retirement.
Let’s see where this goes.