46-Year-Old Making $36,500 in Dividends Shares His Top 8 High-Yield Stocks — 'I Do What I Want on Regular Basis'

Dividend stocks are back in focus as investors continue to watch tariff volatility and look for safe investments. 

Victoria Greene, founding partner and CIO of G Squared Private Wealth, told CNBC in a recent interview that dividend stocks and gold are good options for hedging against risks and market volatility.

About five months ago, someone asked investors on r/Dividends – a Reddit community with 690,000 followers – whether anyone had $1 million invested in dividend stocks and how much they earned monthly. The question received over 200 comments, with many investors sharing interesting success stories and advice. One particular comment caught our eye.

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An investor said he had about $1.05 million invested in dividend stocks and was making $36,500 a year from them. The Redditor said he had another $50,000 invested in non-dividend stocks like Amazon and Apple.  

"While I am 46, I am retired. Not in the traditional since but in the since that, I do what I want on a regular basis and work 3 hours a day whenever I choose to," he said in a separate post on Reddit. "Both my wife and my part-time jobs cover our expenses. So, I have been reducing my exposure to the higher yield stocks and buying more dividend growth and growth stocks that pay a dividend."

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The investor's portfolio included a mix of low-, high-, and ultra-high-yield stocks. Let's focus on his pick with the highest yields. 

Altria Group

Altria MO was one of the key high-yield dividend stocks in the portfolio of the investor raking in $36,500 in annual dividends. Last month, Bank of America said Altria could be a winner in the ongoing tariff confusion amid a potential crackdown against illicit products. The firm set a Buy rating on the stock. Altria shares have gained about 8% so far this year.

AT&T Inc. 

AT&T T was another high dividend stock in the portfolio. The company recently said it plans to return over $40 billion to shareholders through dividends and stock buybacks. T shares are up 56% over the past one year. In late January, AT&T posted better-than-expected quarterly results and strong subscriber growth. 

Verizon Communications

Telecom giant Verizon VZ has a dividend yield of 5.8%. In January, the company posted fourth-quarter earnings that beat Wall Street estimates. In 2025, the company expects EPS growth of up to 3%. 

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Annaly Capital Management

Annaly Capital NLY is a mortgage REIT with a dividend yield of about 12%. The stock is up 18% in 2025 so far. The Redditor earning $36,500 a year in dividends said NLY was among the top high-yield stocks in his portfolio.

AGNC Investment 

Maryland-based mortgage REIT AGNC Investment AGNC has a dividend yield of 14%. In January, the company posted its fourth-quarter earnings that fell short of Wall Street estimates. AGNC shares are up 9% so far this year. 

Hercules Capital 

Another business development company in the portfolio, Hercules Capital Inc HTGC yields about 10%. The stock is down 11% over the past one month.

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Sixth Street Specialty Lending

Texas-based business development company Sixth Street Specialty Lending Inc TSLX has a dividend yield of over 9%. The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.46 per share.

New Mountain Finance

New Mountain Finance NMFC is a business development company with a dividend yield of over 11%. The investor making $36,500 a year in dividends categorized the stock in his "ultra high" dividend picks.

Interest Rates Are Falling, But These Yields Aren't Going Anywhere

Lower interest rates mean some investments won't yield what they did in months past, but you don't have to lose those gains. Certain private market real estate investments are giving retail investors the opportunity to capitalize on these high-yield opportunities.

Arrived Home's Private Credit Fund’s has historically paid an annualized dividend yield of 8.1%*, which provides access to a pool of short-term loans backed by residential real estate. The best part? Unlike other private credit funds, this one has a minimum investment of only $100. 

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