How to earn £20k a year in passive income by investing £10 a day

Earning a sizeable annual passive income is achievable by investing regularly in high-yield dividend stocks. Charlie Carman explains how.

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

Young black woman in a wheelchair working online from home

Image source: Getty Images

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in.

Read More

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice. Investments in a currency other than sterling are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in sterling terms. You could lose money in sterling even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

Earning passive income is a compelling reason to invest in the stock market. The freedom and flexibility that regular dividend payments can provide is priceless, especially considering the minimal effort involved compared to the hard graft of a day job.

But how much should I invest in dividend shares to secure a healthy passive income stream?

Here’s how I’d target a £20k annual second income by investing just £10 a day.

Should you invest £1,000 in Lloyds Banking Group right now?

When investing expert Mark Rogers has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for nearly a decade has provided thousands of paying members with top stock recommendations from the UK and US markets. And right now, Mark thinks there are 6 standout stocks that investors should consider buying. Want to see if Lloyds Banking Group made the list?

See the 6 stocks

Dividends

First, it’s important to understand what dividends are. Essentially, they’re regular cash distributions paid to shareholders — often semi-annually or quarterly.

Not all companies pay dividends. Some don’t have sufficient profits and others prefer to reinvest profits to prioritise capital growth.

That said, UK investors have plenty of choice. Both the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indexes boast a large number of dividend stocks in their ranks.

Tax considerations are important when it comes to dividend investing. The tax-free dividend allowance has been halved to £1,000 this year, and it will be slashed again to £500 next year. Accordingly, I’d shelter my investments in a Stocks and Shares ISA to maximise my potential returns.

Investing early, little, and often

Building a healthy dividend portfolio doesn’t require a fortune, but it will demand financial discipline and a long time horizon. I’ve set an achievable target of saving and investing £10 a day — or £3,650 a year.

I’d aim for a 4% dividend yield across my stock market holdings. Considering the FTSE 100 currently yields 3.7% and the FTSE 250 yields 3.2%, I think that’s a reasonable goal.

This means I’d need a total portfolio value of £500,000 to produce £20k in annual passive income.

Assuming an 8% compound annual growth rate on my stocks (from share price gains and dividend reinvestments), I’d hit my target in a little over 30 years. That’s not too shabby from setting aside just a tenner a day!

Risks

My calculations illustrate the power of compound returns. However, in reality, it’s a little more complicated.

During bear markets, my portfolio would probably shrink in value. With a time horizon spanning three decades, the chances are I’d encounter a few along the way. Extended periods of poor stock market returns would delay my progress towards my target number.

In addition, dividends aren’t guaranteed. If I made poor stock picks, I might invest in companies that cut or suspend their regular distributions. Accordingly, my portfolio’s yield could end up being lower than anticipated, which means I’d need to invest a greater sum.

Diversification

One way to mitigate these risks is to diversify my portfolio across different sectors, geographies, and company sizes.

For instance, I currently own various dividend stocks, including US soft drinks titan Coca-Cola (3% yield), FTSE 100-listed tobacco giant British American Tobacco (8.4% yield), and FTSE 250-listed gold miner Centamin (3.8% yield).

All of these companies face potential risks to their dividends. However, by spreading my exposure across a diversified mix of stocks, I hope I could rely on regular passive income streams from at least some of my holdings if any individual company encountered difficulties.

If all goes to plan, by following these steps, I could secure a £20k second income for the modest sum of £10 a day!

Please note that tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. The content in this article is provided for information purposes only. It is not intended to be, neither does it constitute, any form of tax advice. Readers are responsible for carrying out their own due diligence and for obtaining professional advice before making any investment decisions.

Should you buy Lloyds Banking Group shares today?

Before you decide, please take a moment to review this first.

Because my colleague Mark Rogers – The Motley Fool UK’s Director of Investing – has released this special report.

It’s called ‘5 Stocks for Trying to Build Wealth After 50’.

And it’s yours, free.

Of course, the decade ahead looks hazardous. What with inflation recently hitting 40-year highs, a ‘cost of living crisis’ and threat of a new Cold War, knowing where to invest has never been trickier.

And yet, despite the UK stock market recently hitting a new all-time high, Mark and his team think many shares still trade at a substantial discount, offering savvy investors plenty of potential opportunities to strike.

That’s why now could be an ideal time to secure this valuable investment research.

Mark’s ‘Foolish’ analysts have scoured the markets low and high.

This special report reveals 5 of his favourite long-term ‘Buys’.

Please, don’t make any big decisions before seeing them.

Claim your free copy now

Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

Charlie Carman has positions in The Coca-Cola Company, British American Tobacco P.l.c, and Centamin Plc. The Motley Fool UK has recommended British American Tobacco P.l.c. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

More on Investing Articles

Young female business analyst looking at a graph chart while working from home
Investing Articles

After collapsing 28% today, are Bunzl shares too cheap to ignore?

A poor trading statement has sent Bunzl shares to multi-year lows. Could now be a good time to consider investing…

Read more »

Investing Articles

These 5 stocks could earn £1,600 of annual passive income in a £20,000 ISA

Harvey Jones shows how to generate a high and rising passive income by buying a balanced mix of high-yielding FTSE…

Read more »

Young woman holding up three fingers
Investing Articles

3 things I like about Greggs shares

Greggs shares have tumbled by more than a third over the past year. But this writer has no plan to…

Read more »

artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Investing Articles

Nvidia stock: beware the bear market rally

Andrew Mackie argues that investors should tread carefully before investing in Nvidia stock, as the worst of the sell-off could…

Read more »

Young black colleagues high-fiving each other at work
Investing Articles

Up 73% in one year, is this the best value stock in the FTSE 100?

A brilliant run of form suggests this FTSE 100 giant should no longer make the cut as a value stock.…

Read more »

Investing Articles

The best could yet be to come for UK shares! I’m buying these ones

Amid ongoing stock market turbulence, this writer's been adding selected UK shares to his portfolio. Here's why and what he…

Read more »

Top Stocks

4 UK stocks trading well below book value to consider buying

Sometimes, it pays to be contrarian: who says the UK market has priced a stock precisely right, anyway?

Read more »

Investing Articles

The S&P 500’s 12% off its highs. Is now a good time to buy US shares for an ISA?

Right now, a lot of British investors are wondering whether it’s a good time to buy US shares. Here, Edward…

Read more »