Fixed income vs stocks - Make your choice

A majority of the world’s population, to be on the safer side, consider choosing fixed income and not stocks. With not much risk involved and future uncertainty in mind, fixed income and its diversity can surely be the right choice for many. 

But what exactly do we understand about fixed income and stock dividends?

Fixed income

Having a scheduled payment coming your way on a regular basis is defined as fixed income. It includes savings accounts, funds, bonds, pensions, deposits, and mutual funds. It can be both short-term (months) or long-term (years), the only difference is low and high returns. 

People tend to invest mostly in mutual funds for low short-term gains. If an investor wants to avoid risk in the share market and still invest for the long-term, then they choose long-term yearly bonds.

Stock dividends

They generally represent the cash flow of stocks which is based on ownership percentage, in lieu of cash payments. They are paid monthly as well as quarterly without any tax deductions. After all the creditors of the companies are satisfied, the stock owners can then receive dividends. 

Companies have a way of encouraging shareholders and keeping them interested by providing them with additional shares of high-dividend income stocks and not cash on the basis of their current ownership percentage. In this process, no amount of assets, equity, or cash gets involved.

Advantages

In the current Covid-19 situation, interest rates are hitting new lows. However, the rise is expected to be a slow one. Fixed-income investor portfolios, in today’s world, are low-cost on average, potentially tax-efficient, and offer competitive performance.

Stock dividends, on the other hand, grow over time. For long-term investors, these are considered a boon. Established companies can increase their dividends on a yearly basis; although the risk is present, companies and investors can earn on their investments.

Dividend income stocks have a great impact on stock markets as well. Companies paying dividends will not stop the flow of income even during recessions. Therefore, a partial income on your investments is somehow always guaranteed.

Drawbacks

The combined function of the market environment, buying selling discipline of investors, and unpredictable considerations can be a task to handle when investing. 

Companies that choose to invest their money for expanding their businesses rather than providing stock dividends to their shareholders. Only large and well-established companies tend to regularly offer stock dividends.

On the other hand, if the company you invest in is only providing high dividend payouts and not reinvesting it in their growth, it could also be a reason for worry as the company would not be growing further.

Fixed income vs stocks: Similarities and differences

Changes in the price of bonds are higher compared to that of stocks. Even in a low-interest-rate environment, stock dividends offered by few companies are higher in rates compared to investors who are a part of fixed-income investments.

No matter what you choose, risks and profits have a 50% chance in both categories. You should choose according to your needs and requirements and on the basis of only recommendations.

Conclusion

You should do your due diligence and only choose the investment avenue that would be right for you as an investor.

Frequently asked questions

1. Is fixed income a better investment than stocks?

• Fixed income carries less risk and is mainly for investors who have less time to recoup from losses. However, be mindful of inflation risk which can cause investments to lose value over time. 

2. Is fixed income really safer than equities?

• Bonds are less volatile and risky compared to stocks, but when held to maturity, they can offer stable and consistent returns. Interest rates on bonds tend to be higher than savings rates at banks or in money market accounts.

3. What is a stock dividend?

• A stock dividend is a dividend payment to shareholders which is made in shares and not cash. The range of this differs from company to company.

4. Which is the safest fixed-income investment?

• Notes, U.S. government bills, and bonds are considered to be the safest investments in the world and they are backed by the US government as well. 

5. What does buying a stock mean?

• When one buys a stock, they own a small piece of that particular company. The investor would receive dividend payouts based on the growth and stock price of the company.