1 Stock I Wouldn't Touch With a 10-Foot Pole
The first thing I ask about when I'm looking at a stock is, "What's the dividend look like?" There's a host of reasons for this, and the question spans beyond the dividend yield, which is just one aspect of a dividend. But after more decades than I care to admit of dividend investing, even I can't help seeing a huge dividend yield and getting a little bit excited.
But I've learned to step back from the irrational desire to "get rich quick" and look beyond the yield. That's important when it comes to AGNC Investment (NASDAQ: AGNC) and its gigantic 15.1% yield today.
When I was younger, less mature, and still believed I could take on the world, I bought a company with a 25% dividend yield. It was called Worldcom, and it no longer exists because it went bankrupt -- while I still owned it, if I recall correctly. I wasn't a novice investor at that point, I was one driven by an overinflated belief in my own ability (which is actually worse). I lost my entire investment in Worldcom.
Source Fool.com
