Having one form of income is a blessing, in my eyes. However, building a second income to boost wealth and enjoy later in life would be brilliant.
I reckon it’s possible to do this with a well thought-out plan, and some clear guidelines. Let me explain how I’d go about it.
Rules of the game
Let’s say I had a lump sum of £10K to start with today. The first thing I’d do is put this all into a Stocks and Shares ISA. I’d choose this method as I’m relying on dividends to grow my pot of money, as well as the magic of compounding. The beauty of this type of ISA is that I don’t need to pay any tax on dividends.
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Speaking of dividends, I need to pick the best stocks with the prospects of regular returns to build my wealth and eventual pot. I’d remember two things. Firstly, the past is never any guarantee of the future, so I’d look for the best firms with bright future prospects. Next, diversification can help mitigate risk.
Let me crunch some numbers. Along with the £10K lump sum, I’d set aside £250 per month from my wages. Investing for 25 years, and aiming for a rate of return of 8%, I’d be left with £311,158.
Now I’m going to draw down 6% annually, and split that into weekly amounts, which equates to £359 per week.
A few caveats to remember when following any such plan are that dividends are never guaranteed. Plus, 8% is a lofty ambition. My stocks may return less, therefore, meaning I’m left with less money to draw down on. Alternatively, I could yield a higher level of return, meaning I’ve got more money to enjoy.
Stock picking
If I was following this plan, I’d love to buy shares in Assura (LSE: AGR). The business is set up as a real estate investment trust (REIT) meaning it makes money from renting out property. Also, it must return 90% of profits to shareholders. This makes it an attractive prospect to bag dividends in any plan towards building an additional income stream.
In Assura’s case, it provides healthcare premises to the NHS, in the form of GP’s surgeries and other provisions, as well as private medical businesses.
The healthcare property market offers defensive abilities, in my view. This is because healthcare is a basic necessity, no matter the economic outlook. Plus, with the rising and ageing population in the UK, there could be great growth opportunities for Assura to grow earnings and returns.
At present, the shares offer a dividend yield of just under 8%. Furthermore, the business has a good track record of payments across the past decade.
From a risk perspective, I noticed that Assura’s balance sheet revealed debt levels could dent earnings and returns if not addressed or managed properly. There could come a time whereby paying down debt could take precedence over investor returns. This is something I’d keep an eye on.
