Dividends For The Long Run : April 2012

My deployment to Afghanistan ended on April 3rd and now that I am back in Hawaii it is time to get this blog up and running again. With the end of the deployment comes the end of the extra pay that comes with being in a combat zone along with the income being tax free. The past year provided a great kickstart to my financial well-being but it is now time to operate under the same rules as everybody else.

The first quarter of 2012 was a very quiet one for me in terms of active investing due to the workload during the final three months of the deployment. The only purchases occurred in January where I picked up additional 1/3 positions in Medtronic (MDT) and Leggett & Platt (LEG). Overall the dividend growth portfolio brought in more than $200 worth of dividends along with some sizeable (unrealized) capital gains. Between share price appreciation, dividend payments, and continuing to save aggressively I was able to easily surpass my goal of a 20% net worth increase from Quarter 4, 2011 to Quarter 1, 2012. Now that I am back in Hawaii and no longer benefitting from a fully funded taxpayer vacation I expect my financial growth rate to decrease, yet remain positive, as items such as rent, food, and gas place regular demands on my checkbook.

For the second quarter of 2012 my net worth increase goal is going to be 10%. This will require saving about half of my paycheck every month, continuing to keep the balance on my credit card low and paying it off in full every month, and adding to the dividend growth portfolio. The dividend goal for the year will be $1,500.

The most significant move I made on the money management side was to take all the cash set aside for long term savings goals and move it from savings accounts into money market funds.

Below is a roundup of dividend payments so far this year as well as a snapshot of my net worth on April 1st, 2012.

2012 Dividend Tracker (Goal is $1500)
2011 Dividend Income	$307.90

Quarter 1 (January 1 – March 31)
Company	Dividend Payout
Wal-Mart (January 3^rd)	$7.30
Pepsi (January 3^rd)	$8.24
Kimberly Clark (January 4^th)	$11.20
Phillip Morris (January 10^th)	$12.32
Altria (January 10^th)	$15.99
Illinois Tool Works (January 10^th)	$7.92
Leggett & Platt (January 13^th)	$13.16
Medtronic (January 27^th)	$14.60
AT&T (February 1^st)	$15.63
Abbott Laboratories (February 15^th)	$9.12
Intel (March 1^st)	$10.59
Conoco-Phillips (March 1^st)	$10.00
Aflac (March 1^st)	$8.98
Microsoft (March 8^th)	$8.06
Johnson & Johnson (March 13^th)	$18.40
McDonald (March 15^th)	$8.46
Waste Management (March 23^rd)	$22.96
Pepsi (March 30^th)	$8.30
QUARTER TOTAL	$211.23

Year To Date Total	$211.23
14% of Goal

ASSETS
Cash	$59,090.40 (+31.1%)
Taxable Investments	$43,604.03 (+22.5%)
Roth IRAs	$22,069.25 (+32.3%)
Total Assets	$124,763.68 (+28.1%)
LIABILITIES
Credit Card Debt	($136.77) (-62.1%)
Total Liabilities	($136.77) (-62.1%)
PERSONAL NET WORTH
$124,626.91 (+28.5%)