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As a veteran value investor, I’m always looking out for cheap stocks and shares. In particular, I try to track down shares that pay generous dividends to shareholders. Dividends are regular cash payments paid to shareholders by companies, usually half-yearly or quarterly. For me, share dividends are the closest thing to free money I’ve ever had. And as American business tycoon John D Rockefeller once remarked: “Do you know the only thing that gives me pleasure? It’s to see my dividends coming in.” What’s more, reinvested dividends can account for roughly half of the long-term returns from UK shares. Here are 10 FTSE 100 shares that pay bumper cash dividends to patient shareholders.

10 huge FTSE 100 dividends

On Friday, the FTSE 100 closed at 7,122.32 points. At this level, the index has a forecast dividend yield of 4.1% for 2021. However, at least 12 FTSE 100 stocks don’t … Read more

The Diversified Energy (LSE: DEC) share price has fallen by 20% since early October and is down by around 12% so far this year. This weakness has left the US gas producer trading at under 100p and offering a 12% dividend yield.

A yield this high is unusual. In my experience it’s often a sign of problems to come. But Diversified’s payout has risen steadily since its flotation in 2017 and the company’s latest trading update didn’t seem to reveal any new problems. Is DEC an overlooked bargain I should buy for my portfolio?

What’s the story?

Diversified Energy is a slightly unusual business. The company operates around 69,000 gas producing wells in the USA, in states including Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

These wells are generally older wells that are past peak production. Diversified buys the wells from other operators and then runs them for cash until they reach the … Read more

Do you know how much tax you pay? If the answer is no, don’t worry – you’re not alone. According to research by Hargreaves Lansdown, only 48% of us know how much tax we pay! So, if you don’t know what your tax bill is, then here’s how to find out. 

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What taxes do you pay?

According to Hargreaves Lansdown’s research, low earners are less likely to know how much tax they’re paying. The problem? There’s a chance you’re paying too much tax! So, to make sure you’re on track, here’s a breakdown of the tax you might pay. 

Income Tax

Income Tax is simply a tax you pay on, well, your income!

Whether it’s your annual salary or other forms of income, everything you earn is subject to tax. That said, everyone has a personal allowance, which is an amount of money you can earn before paying … Read more

This year has been good to shareholders of Lloyds Banking Group (LSE: LLOY). With the economy bouncing back strongly from 2020’s lows, it has seen its loan losses plummet and earnings rebound. Hence, the Lloyds share price has surged from its January low. But what might 2022 hold for the UK’s largest lender?

The fall and rise of the Lloyds share price

Before Covid-19 crashed global markets, the Lloyds share price was doing fine. On 16 December 2019, it hit its 2019 closing high of 67.25p, before ending the year at 62.5p. Then along came coronavirus to spoil the fun. During the London market meltdown of spring 2020, Lloyds closed at 27.73p on 3 April. But the worst was yet to come, with the shares bottoming out at 23.58p on 22 September 2020. At the time, I thought this was crazy, so I said so.

Lloyds stock duly … Read more