How I’d invest in FTSE 100 stocks to aim for £50k a year in passive income

Our writer shares what their chosen strategy would be to aim for £50k a year in passive income by investing in FTSE 100 stocks.

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Investing in UK income shares is a tried and tested method for building a handsome second income.

The good news for me is that the FTSE 100 is home to several companies boasting juicy dividend yields. What’s more, some are even well covered by earnings at current levels.

As such, here’s how I’d invest in dividend shares to aim for £50,000 a year in passive income.

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Building an £800,000 portfolio

Building an investment pot big enough to pay out £50,000 a year in passive income is no mean feat.

To achieve something like it I’ll need to build a portfolio worth around £800,000.

Why this much? Well, if I could achieve an average dividend yield of 6.5% on a portfolio of this size, I’d earn £52,000 a year in dividend income.

As someone with decades of working ahead, the positive news is that I’ve got plenty of time to implement a solid strategy that’ll help me reach this goal.

Since my main objective at this stage is to construct a portfolio large enough to enable me to earn a substantial passive income, I’d opt to invest in a diversified basket of growth and income stocks.

This way I can aim to benefit from a combination of share price growth and cash dividends.

Once I’ve bought the stocks for my portfolio, let’s say I invest £570 a month roughly spread across each of them.

Assuming I achieved an annualised return of 8%, I’d have an investment pot worth £802,873 after 30 years.

Playing the long-term game

This brings me nicely onto the importance of being in it for the long term.

If I’m unwilling to stick with it over the decades, it just won’t be possible for me reach my goal.

What’s more, having a long-term perspective will enable me to overcome the inevitable bouts of volatility that plague the stock market.

More importantly, it’ll also allow me to benefit from the miracle of compound returns. Seasoned investors like Warren Buffett know this is the real key to building substantial wealth.

Achieving a 6.5% average yield

Fast forward with me 30 years and let’s assume I managed to reach that £800,000 portfolio. Now I’d just need to earn an average yield of 6.5% from my holdings.

To illustrate, I could do this today by buying shares in companies such as Legal & General (8.3% yield), Glencore (8.1% yield), and Aviva (7.5% yield).

I’d particularly focus on these three since each one’s dividend is covered by earnings. Yields that are well covered by earnings today give management plenty of scope to increase shareholder payouts in future.

That said, I’m aware that no dividend is ever guaranteed. After all, it only takes a period of sustained unstable macroeconomic conditions for companies to begin reining in cash payouts.

As a result, I’d always plan ahead and be aware that my aim to achieve a 6.5% yield could be jeopardised in the short term.

Should you invest £1,000 in Tullow Oil Plc 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 Tullow Oil Plc made the list?

See the 6 stocks

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.

Matthew Dumigan has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. 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.

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