Is earning £1,969 a month in passive income a realistic possibility for someone with no savings? I think it could be. Investing part of a monthly salary in a Stocks and Shares ISA, investors can generate dividends. And it might be surprising just how much this can create.
Investment returns
According to the Office for National Statistics, the median income for full-time workers is £39,039. After tax, that translates to £31,628. On a monthly basis, that’s £2,635. But how much could you earn if you invested just 10% of that – £263.50 a month?
I think a 7.5% annual return’s a realistic target. And on that basis, you could be earning £3,146 a year after 10 years. This increases to £9,840 a year after 20 years and £23,635 after 30 years. That’s £1,969 a month in extra income.
Aside from reinvesting, you don’t have to do anything to keep the cash coming in. And that’s with no initial savings – just 10% of your annual take-home pay.
Is a 7.5% return realistic?
The obvious thing to ask is a 7.5% annual return a realistic possibility? And it’s a very fair question. The simplest way to aim for this kind of return is to find a stock with a 7.5% dividend yield. This isn’t that hard – there are plenty of them around.
Investing however, isn’t quite so straightforward. The high dividend yield is a bit like an insurance premium for taking on unusually high risks. A lot of the time, it isn’t worth it. If the company isn’t going to be able to keep returning cash to investors, the stock can be a trap.
In a few cases though, I think the rewards might be worth the risks. And in those situations, there’s a passive income opportunity for investors.
Healthcare properties
Priamry Health Properties (LSE:PHP) is a FTSE 250 real estate investment trust (REIT) with a 7.76% dividend yield. And I don’t think it’s a trap.
The firm owns and leases a portfolio of GP surgeries and healthcare centres. And as a REIT, it returns the cash to investors instead of paying taxes.
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.
So what is the catch? The average debt maturity is five years away, but the average lease still has 10 years to expiry. That means the firm will have to refinance before it can renegotiate its leases. That creates a risk of higher costs weighing on profits.
With the NHS as its largest tenant however, rent collection is incredibly reliable. And that should help the firm maintain a strong credit rating.
Income investing
Is turning a £39,039 monthly salary into £1,969 a month in passive income a realistic ambition? I think it is. A 7.5% annual return is a big help, and Primary Health Properties is one stock with that dividend yield that I like the look of.
It’s not the most high-octane business. But acquiring its largest competitor should put it in a much stronger position going forward. As long as it can stay ahead of inflation, I think investors could do well. So for long-term passive income, it has to be worth a look.
