Portfolio Value Update - October 2019

Hello everybody. Welcome back to my blog. I hope you are doing well. The month of October flew by and it’s time to report my progress. Now that your sugar level is down from all the trick-or-treating sweets, let’s dive into the numbers.


Portfolio Value
In October, my portfolio value increased by $238 to $80,656.76. My stocks in general lost some value, but new money contribution and dividends helped my portfolio stay above $80K mark.




Dividends
Dividends received in October 2019: $416.73
Dividends received in October 2018: $291.13
Year-Over-Year Dividend Growth: $125.60 or 43%
Year-To-Date Dividend Income: $3,478.14

This is the first time this year that I received over $400 in dividends. The dividend income was higher than usual due to a special dividend of $58 from Genworth MI Canada (MIC.TO). On an adjusted basis, the dividend income would have been around $350.


Charts

Contributions
In October, I transferred $575 to my TFSA account. I will continue to contribute the same amount every month. My TFSA contribution limit will be reached by the end of this year.


Transactions
In October, I purchased 11 shares of Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO). I have a separate post about that purchase, so if you missed it, go check it out.


AdSense Earnings
Adsense earnings from blog: $2.30
Adsense earnings from YouTube: $220.74
Total AdSense earnings: $223.04

Adsense earnings continue to grow on a monthly basis. Those who follow me for a while know that I have a YouTube channel. I have few videos related to the Holiday season, therefore the channel gets more traffic at this time of the year. Receiving over $200 from YouTube is awesome. That’s half the amount that I received from dividends, except that I didn’t have to invest any money into my channel, only my time filming the content and uploading.


Dividend Increases
If my memory serves me correctly, Diversified Royalty Corp (DIV.TO) and First National (FN.TO) increased their dividends. First National also announced a special dividend of $.50 in December. This is the third year the company is paying out a special dividend. A nice Christmas bonus!! Also, it’s important to note that DIV.TO finally bought into a new income stream. They bought a trademark of Nurse Next Door and I think that now their dividend will be fully funded by operating cash flow.


My Watchlist for November / December
Banks, banks, banks, and more banks. Apart from banks, I really like Restaurant Brands (QSR.TO) at $85 per share. Just a few months ago, shares were trading above $100. The last quarter came in really good. The company recorded impressive growth with Popeyes and Burger King. Tim Hortons disappointed, but I wouldn’t worry about it. I pass many TH daily, there are line-ups all the time.


My Acura CSX is Sold
If you recall, I was rear-ended a few months ago. Nothing major, just a cracked bumper and a dent on the trunk lid. Insurance took care of that. Everything was repaired professionally with OEM parts. Anyway, after the repair I decided to sell my Acura for several reasons:

• The car is rare and parts are hard to find
• It depreciates fast
• Takes more gas than a civic
• Too many gadgets I don’t need
• Leather sits

My next car will be basic, economical, and practical. I’m looking into Toyota Yaris 2012-2014 hatchback. These little cars are bulletproof. If maintained right, they never break. I’m planning on diving a lot more to film YouTube videos, so Yaris would be the best candidate for the job. I wouldn’t want to rely on my Acura for all the driving.



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That’s it for October update! Let me know what you think of my progress. Feel free to share your progress in the comment section below. Thank you for reading and take care!