I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t bet on the State Pension helping me to survive once I retire, let alone enjoy the comfortable retirement that I’ve always dreamed of.
The situation is becoming more and more perilous as well. The age at which Britons can look forward to retiring is edging further and further away and many of us will be knocking on the door of our eighth decade before we can think about throwing out the work uniform.
I don’t fancy working until I’m a septuagenarian, or having to scrimp and save once I finally retire. I’ve taken the bull by the horns and recently bought into some more brilliant FTSE 100 dividend stocks I’m confident could make me a fortune by the time I come to retire.
A quality selection
There’s a number of other income heroes that I’m very tempted to snap up too, like product testing giant Intertek Group (LSE: ITRK).
Financials this week disappointed brokers a little as the firm declared a 4.5% uptick in organic revenues during the three months to October. This didn’t bother me, though — there is a galaxy of structural growth opportunities that should allow Intertek to continue expanding the top line long into the future.
As it noted this week, “an increased focus of corporations on risk management, global trade flows, global demand for energy, expanding regulations, more complex sourcing and distribution operations, technological innovations, government investments in large infrastructure projects, and increased consumer demand for higher quality and more sustainable products.”
The indispensable quality assurance industry is already big business and is only going to get bigger and bigger as the global economy grows. City analysts expect an anticipated 1% earnings improvement for 2018 to increase to 8% next year, and this also means the company’s über-progressive dividend policy is predicted to remain in business as well.
Last year’s 71.3p per share reward, which itself was up more than 14% year-on-year, is likely to rise to 92.7p in the current period, or so say the number crunchers. And it’s expected to rise to 103.2p in 2019, meaning that 2018’s 1.9% yield jumps to 2.1% for next year.
The 7% yielder
If you’re looking for bigger yields though, and aren’t frightened of going against the grain, then Royal Mail (LSE: RMG) could be worth your attention.
The Footsie courier’s share price has almost halved in a little over six months as investors have feared the impact of a slowing UK economy on Royal Mail’s top line and have reacted to the firm’s missed cost-saving targets.
There’s no doubt that these issues could carry over to 2019, but I still believe that the company’s long-term outlook remains robust as the growing internet shopping arena blows parcel volumes higher (these rose 6% in both the UK and at its GLS European division during the first fiscal half).
The bad news is that City analysts expect group earnings to fall in both of the years to March 2019 and 2020. But a bright outlook thereafter means that dividends are expected to keep heading higher — last year’s 24p per share reward is predicted to move to 24.6p this year and to 25.3p in fiscal 2020, meaning juicy yields of 7.5% and 7.7% respectively. Despite its current problems Royal Mail, like Intertek, is a share I’d be happy to buy now and hold until I retire.