Seeking Alpha Dividend Dashboard

Before I talk about Seeking Alpha’s new dividend dashboard tool, a bit of history may help you see why I like the tool. For those who depend on Social Security in retirement, the outlook won’t be bright. Very few can stop working if Social Security is their only source of income. Retirement shouldn’t be that daunting if you plan and prepare.

I officially started “retirement” on March 6, 2014 when I was 63 years old. That means I have not had to go to an office for over twelve years. My first Social Security direct deposit was $2,002, before Medicare kicked in and started grabbing some of the dollars. On March 9, 2016 that income dropped to $1,915 because of Medicare.

This month’s Social Security deposit will be $2,460.50 and I have received just over $317K during these years.  If you divide that amount by the twelve years, the average annual Social Security income has been $26,417. Lets just say those dollars don’t go very far. I think of it as my government annuity.

Thankfully, due to my “Easy Income Strategy,” our annual income from dividends is over $200K per year. That does not include income from options trading. In 2025 our dividend income totaled $191,664 or just under $16K per month. This happened because I focused on buying quality stocks and ETFs that pay increasing dividends each year.

Seeking Alpha Dividend Dashboard Announcement

Here is the announcement that caused me to go look at the new tool. I especially like the calendar. It is possible to click on any date to see the specific holdings and the total dividends on any given day.

Here are two screen images for my ROTH IRA that show the information for June 3 and 4.

Wayne’s Traditional IRA Dividend Dashboard

This is our largest account. It pays to be aware of the estimated annual income for each account. It is also helpful to see the 3-Year dividend growth. If you have dividend growth as a requirement for your investments, then there should be growth.

Cindie’s ROTH IRA Dividend Dashboard

Another thing to note is the “Not covered” portion of the “Average Dividend Safety Score.” There is a reason some are not covered. The reasons include some positions that don’t pay a dividend and ETF holdings that don’t  have a safety score. Therefore, ETFs like SCHD and VYM are not rated because they are diversified into many different stocks. Furthermore, Cindie holds options contracts and none of those contracts pay a dividend.

Seeking Alpha’s ratings are provided for information purposes only. Ultra Safe, Very Safe, Safe, Risky, Very Risky ratings do not constitute a specific call to action or advice for any individual to buy, hold, or sell a certain stock.

Using Excel to See 2026 YTD Income

Most tools I use have a specific strength and some weaknesses. There is no good way to see YTD income from dividends and options contracts. I use Excel to get to that level of detail. Here are two images that show this year’s progress.

All this is nice, but I feel compelled to remind my readers of a huge problem with wealth and the pursuit of more-and-more. John Piper reminded me, so I pass on the reminder.

Be Careful About Wealth

I believe a caution flag should be waved when thinking about wealth and income. It is very dangerous to make gathering and creating wealth your life objective. A commencement address by John Piper is a helpful reminder about the huge delusion of temporary wealth.

Piper told the 2026 seminary students who were graduating to “Remember the Rich Young Man.” (Commencement Address, Bethlehem College and Seminary, Minneapolis). The rich young man in Matthew 19 went away from Jesus sorrowful because he had a lot of possessions and did not want to give them up to follow Jesus. Then Piper said, “Yes, but that wasn’t a root problem. Jesus had told him four changes that need to happen in order to enter the kingdom of God.” Piper called them the “Four Essential Shifts.”

The first of the four was to “downsize.” We don’t need more stuff, and the stuff we have we really don’t need either. What was once new and exciting is no longer used or a priority. The second is the one that I like to remember each day: “Second, be lavishly generous toward those who have less than you do. Switch your whole mindset from getting to giving. I promise you, young man, it is more blessed to give than to receive. It is more satisfying to meet needs than to increase comforts. You don’t know what you’re missing! You have been duped by a thousand advertisements that having is the key to happiness; that possessing is the path to pleasure. It’s not, young man. Life does not consist in the abundance of your possessions. The Dead Sea is dead because it only receives.” – John Piper

If your goal in retirement is more-and-more without a heavenly treasure mindset you will depart this life as a pauper for eternity. Piper ended his address by talking about the “Eternal Stakes.” There was another professor he knew 55 years ago. The professor “had a degree from a prestigious European university. We met at his house several times. I took a couple of courses from him. When I left school, I heard later that he was beginning to invest in the stock market. He was eventually consumed with a passion for wealth. And he walked away. Today he’s not a believer. He doesn’t even believe in God, with his doctorate in theology.” – John Piper

Conclusion

If you use the tool to grow your income and your income becomes your focus, you are missing out on the true joys of living life to the fullest. I recommend the tool. Like any tool, however, it must be used carefully. To do otherwise risks eternal damage and regrets.

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All scripture passages are from the English Standard Version except as otherwise noted.