To me, there are few more appealing ideas than earning a large second income without lifting a finger. This is known as passive income, and while it may sound too good to be true, history shows us that it really isn’t.
But how can an investor turn this from a pipe dream into reality? Here’s a step-by-step plan of how you could turn a £300 monthly investment in shares into an extra income of more than £38,000 a year.
Building the pot
Our strategy involves a little legwork at the beginning. You need to set up a tax-efficient investing account, preferably a Stocks and Shares ISA and/or a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP). Then comes the task of finding the best shares, trusts, and funds to fill it with, based on your investing goals and tolerance and risk.
However, once it’s up and running, you should be able to sit back and watch your wealth steadily grow over time. History isn’t always a reliable guide to future returns. But the long-term performance of the stock market is unmatched, which gives me enormous confidence as an investor.
Since the mid-20th century, share investing has delivered an average annual return of 8% to 10%.
Passive income plans
The cornerstone of our strategy is to use our ISA or SIPP to buy shares that pay dividends. That passive income could be used for retirement spending later on. But in the meantime, it is reinvested to amplify compound gains and grow the size of the pension pot.
We should look for stocks that could pay healthy dividends not just now but in the future. Companies with market-leading positions and diverse revenue streams can deliver reliable and growing dividends over time. Firms with strong balance sheets and cash generation should also be a priority.
A top dividend stock
Coca-Cola HBC (LSE:CCH) is a great FTSE 100 dividend share that enjoys all of these qualities. In fact, it’s a dividend powerhouse I hold in my own personal SIPP.
Dividends here have risen every year since 2012. That’s when the Coca-Cola bottler first listed on the London stock market. And over the past five years they’ve grown at a breakneck compound annual rate of 13.4%.
The question is, can the company keep delivering impressive dividends? I’m confident it can, even though it faces competitive pressures and the problem of rising costs. The exceptional brand power of its drinks mean they remain in high demand across the economic cycle. They also allow the company to hike prices to grow earnings and cash flows, the perfect conditions for sustained dividend growth.
A £38k+ second income
With a diversified portfolio of shares like Coca-Cola HBC, I think an average annual return of 9% is quite possible. Based on this, a £300 monthly investment would, after 30 years, create an ISA or SIPP worth £549,223.
If this was invested in 7%-yielding dividend shares, it could generate an annual second income of £38,446. Combined with the State Pension, this could provide a very comfortable retirement.
