Here’s how I’d aim to earn a ton of passive income starting from scratch

I’m a long way from retirement, but planning for my future is central to my investing strategy. If I was starting with no savings today, I’d take action to begin earning passive income from a diversified portfolio of dividend stocks.

The earlier I get the ball rolling, the larger my flow of cash distributions could be when the time comes to give up work for good.

Here are tips investors could consider following if they’re aiming for financial security in later life.

Starting out

Choosing an appropriate wrapper for my investments is an important consideration. Some invest in a Stocks and Shares ISA for tax-free capital gains and dividends. These investment accounts tend to offer flexibility by permitting withdrawals at any age.

Alternatively, Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) can have additional advantages due to tax relief on contributions. However, they’re more restrictive. Investments usually aren’t accessible until the account owner reaches the minimum pension age.

I balance my investments between a Stocks and Shares ISA and a SIPP. Investors should research the merits and drawbacks of both to determine what best suits their financial goals.

Please note that tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. The content in this article is provided for information purposes only. It is not intended to be, neither does it constitute, any form of tax advice. Readers are responsible for carrying out their own due diligence and for obtaining professional advice before making any investment decisions.

Flexibility

Investing in dividend stocks isn’t a sure-fire way to generate passive income. Dividend payments can be reduced or suspended during economic downturns as we saw during the pandemic.

Dividend cuts can also arise from poor financial performance or strategic shifts. A good example of this is FTSE 100 telecom giant Vodafone‘s recent decision to halve its dividend. This was always a risk for a business with a debt-heavy balance sheet.

Diversification across multiple companies can reduce the risks, but it’s also a good idea to have flexibility when forecasting future dividend flows.

Adopting conservative estimates about the amount of passive income my portfolio could produce would leave me with a good buffer in tough times.

Finding dividend shares

There are plenty of UK dividend stocks that deserve consideration. One that’s recently caught my eye is FTSE 250 residential housebuilder Bellway (LSE:BWY).

With Labour having taken the reins of power, Bellway is well-placed to benefit from the new government’s plan to build 1.5m homes. Robust long-term housing demand and an extension to the mortgage guarantee scheme also count in the company’s favour.

Currently, investors can bag a decent 3.9% dividend yield. Forecast cover of 2.5 times earnings suggests there’s a healthy margin of safety, although no dividends are ever guaranteed.

A potential merger with fellow FTSE 250 constituent Crest Nicholson could be an attractive development for shareholders amid wider industry consolidation. However, two Bellway bids have already been rejected, so a tie-up isn’t a certainty.

Although the combined business would benefit from economies of scale there are risks for Bellway shareholders. Crest Nicholson’s poor recent performance suggests the board will have to execute a substantial turnaround job should the merger progress.

Earning passive income

From a diversified portfolio of dividend stocks such as Bellway, I could reasonably aim for a 4% yield across my holdings.

Accounting for share price appreciation, if my portfolio grew at 7% a year, I’d have a £1m nest egg within 30 years by investing £10k a year.

That would produce an annual passive income stream of £40k — enough to secure a very nice retirement!