It’s dividend time! — And time to let go: Money Talks

I’m doing what I said I would do.

If you’ve followed this series, you know I’ve spent more than a year inching toward consolidation.

Last month, I took the final step.

I sold Nike, Hershey and Starbucks — the last three dividend-paying companies in my taxable account.

A clean break. The end of an era.

Not because they failed me, but because the strategy did.

Nike, Hershey and Starbucks were my babies. They did exactly what they were supposed to do. They paid steady dividends, grew a little and gave me that reassuring sense of progress every quarter.

But unless I held thousands of shares and caught a rare breakout, the returns weren’t going to move the needle. The issue wasn’t the companies, it was the approach.

Owning individual dividend stocks gave me activity, not efficiency. What I need now is a portfolio that works harder than I did — without me spending precious time stock-picking or staring at the ticker.

With that, my long and winding dividend journey comes to an end.

I’d held Nike and Hershey since late 2022, watching small profits trickle in: 5 percent on Nike, just half a percent on Hershey.

Capital gains came to $308.14 from Nike, and just $31.99 from Hershey.

That’s exactly why I sold.

Dividends added up to the cost of two date nights — $154.87 from Hershey, $95.52 from Nike.

Starbucks did a bit better.

Since May 2023, it brought in $577.46 in capital gains plus $89.78 in dividends — a total of $667.24. Still, nothing game-changing without significantly more capital.

Now, the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) is the only dividend payer in my taxable account. And that feels right.

No more overlap. No more overthinking.

Selling my babies was me acknowledging that, and finally acting on it.

This wasn’t a panic sale. It was a real-time course correction.

Dividends will keep flowing from VTI and a few equities inside my Roth IRA. But the days of tracking each penny by hand on the front of the fridge are long gone.

It was fun while it lasted. Every payout came with a lesson. Each one felt like a quiet win, a nod from future me saying, “Keep going.”

Since the last update, I added $128.54 in dividends, bringing my taxable account’s lifetime total to $1,467.60.

My Roth account has done even better. My lifetime dividends now sit at $3,743.16, with $375.66 since the last update.

I guess crossing $5,000 in dividends marks another milestone.

But the real joy is watching my daughter Parker’s accounts take off. She’s the reason I started investing in the first place.

Parker received $134.39 from the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) on June 24, and for the first time, her dividends automatically reinvested into more than one full share — 1.034 to be exact. Now her real compounding begins.

She also earned $53.77 from her VT stake, bumping her lifetime total in that fund to $176.86. With her portfolio restructured, this account is set for rapid growth. For now, Parker’s total dividend earnings across her custodial and Roth accounts now stand at $1,225.25.

She’s catching up to my taxable account, and I couldn’t be prouder.

But my thrill for dividends has faded.

Not because dividends stopped working. They did exactly what they were supposed to do. They provided steady, predictable and reassuring income. Along the way, I outgrew the strategy. Or maybe I just evolved.

Dividend investing taught me discipline and patience. But I’m no longer holding positions out of nostalgia or hope. Now, I want more than predictable. I want exponential growth and asymmetric upside.

This round wasn’t about compounding. It was about closing a chapter.

It was, well, time.