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BDC - Definition of Business Development Companies

3/15/2023

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DISCLAIMER -  I am not a Financial Advisor and do not work for any Brokerage Firm.   The opinions given are of my own and are not to be used as professional advice.  These are my findings and can hopefully help you to make informed decisions on investing.   Consult a Broker or Lawyer before making any investment..

As we plan out how to invest our money to get our maximum returns, we need to make use of a special group of stocks making up the REITs category.  If you do not have some money invested in Real Estate, this is a very effective method to make money.   We did an article explaining REITS a while back.  
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Read about Reits here.

Today we are going to talk briefly about Business Development Companies.   Many of these are tied to Reits, but they also provide capital for other business uses besides Real Estate.

What Is a Business Development Company (BDC)?

A business development company (BDC) is an organization that invests in small and medium-sized companies as well as distressed companies. A BDC helps these firms grow in the initial stages of their development. With distressed businesses, the BDC helps the companies regain sound financial footing.   Similar to closed-end investment funds, many BDCs are public companies whose shares trade on major stock exchanges, such as the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), Nasdaq, and others. As investments, they are high-risk but offer higher rewards.

I try to find solid companies that provide financing that is being sold at a discount and also show dividends of 8% or more.

BDCs are much like private equity funds for small businesses.   While private equity funds tend to be restricted to high-net-worth and institutional investors, Block Development Companies are publicly traded on the stock market and available to anyone with a brokerage account.  What is even greater, is they are transparent and easy to research.  Like all stocks, these may or may not go up in price.   However BDCs do normally pay dividends, and those are the ones I try to buy.

Business Development Companies make debt and equity investments primarily to small or mid-size companies.  They are very much like REITs in how they perform.   BDCs were created by congress to encourage investing in the real economy.  They benefit from having preferential tax treatment as they pay no income tax as long as they pay out at least 90% of their net income to investors.   

BDCs and Reits are two of the best dividend stocks regarding yields.  By not having to pay income tax, they can pass on higher returns to the shareholders.

I encourage you to read more about Business Development Companies and consider purchasing some of them to round out your complete portfolio.

I read a good article this past week recommending what they considered 5 of the best BDCs.  All were good, and I purchased 4 of the 5.  (All are doing well by the way.)  You might look at these.  Be aware here in March we are having a roller coaster ride on the stock market, so buy on down days if you decide to buy.   Every dollar you buy at a discount is more money that should return to you as the stock comes back to the normal range.   I try to never buy when a stock is near its 52-week high.

Business Development Companies to consider.

MAIN – Main Street Capital.   It pays a monthly dividend and is considered the blue-chip BDC.   They provide financing to middle-market companies, typically with $10 million to $150 million in yearly revenue.

ARCC – Ares Capital.   They are the world's largest BDC with over $10 billion of capitalization.   ARCC is well diversified with money in Software, Healthcare, and various Professional services with no more than 7% in any one sector.

ORCC – Owl Rock Capital -  A newcomer in DBC stocks which just started trading in 2019.  They have paid a steady stream of income dividends with current rate above 9%.  They are well diversified in thier portfolio with mainly software, insurance, and food and beverage companies.

HTGC – Hercules Capital.   Hercules acts more like a venture capital company.   HTGC is the largest BDC focused on venture capital financing.  Currently showing a 9.7% rate of return.

TPVG – Triple-Point Venture Growth BDC Corp.  They are the smallest of the BDCs mentioned here today.  They have a market cap of $441 million and are a bit more speculative than the others mentioned.  Triple Point’s portfolio is mainly invested in debt instruments, mainly floating-rate instruments.

All of these are just examples of Business Development Companies.  Don’t buy them based on reading about them here, but study and be sure they make good sense for your investment portfolio.  

I think everyone can gain by having a fully diversified portfolio, and that means a combination of Full Market Stock Indexes, Bonds, CDs, Dividend Growth Stocks, Preferred Stocks, Reits, and Business Development Companies.    We have articles on all of these in the link below on Investment Articles.


Have a great day!
 

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Minimalism and Determination

3/8/2023

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There are a lot of ideas about what minimalism can do for us.   When you cut out the excess “stuff” you have more free time. You have less to keep up with, and your expenses are lowered.   Today I want to discuss a word that all of us should really learn and strive to make part of our day-to-day mindset.

If we can get this attribute into our daily action steps, believe me, it will allow us to have a more consistent life.    I want to talk about the word:  Resilience.

The dictionary defines Resilience as:

1.  the power or ability of a material to return to its original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity.
2.  the ability of a person to adjust to or recover readily from illness, adversity, major life changes, etc.; buoyancy.
3.  the ability of a system or organization to respond to or recover readily from a crisis or disruptive process.

As a Christian, almost daily you will be stretched to your limit and face adversity.   Can you quickly recover from hard times?   We can when we have faith in God.    When we ask God for faith, he has promised to give us our desires.

Who in the bible was the ultimate example of resilience besides our Savior Jesus Christ?    I think after Christ, the first person that comes to my mind is the apostle Paul.

2Co 6:4  But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 
2Co 6:5  In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 
2Co 6:6  By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 

2Co 6:7  By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 


Paul was a man who never gave up, no matter the circumstances.   He knew that God was the one who helped and guided him every day of his life.   Through Christ, Paul could do all things.

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

We are commanded in Romans to not be conformed to this world, but have a mindset geared towards doing the perfect will of God in our lives.

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 
Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 

To have resilience, you will certainly need to have a lot of determination.   All of these things work hand in hand to make you a person who is very productive in your life.   By being determined, you keep on when others quit.  When you have determination, little setbacks are just those.  Failure is never failure until you quit getting back up and fighting another round.   Paul told the church at Phillipi that he had no confidence in his flesh, but he looked to God with faith to help him have the resilience to keep on keeping on.

Php 3:1  Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. 
Php 3:2  Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. 
Php 3:3  For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 
Php 3:4  Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 
Php 3:5  Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 
Php 3:6  Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 
Php 3:7  But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 
Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 
Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 
Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 

 
And what goes with determination?   Absolutely it is persistence.   Day after day you fight again and again.   Failures come and failures go, but you don’t give up.   Having mule-like determination will allow you to overcome almost any resistance you come up against.   Thomas Edison tried over 14,000 tests in trying to create the light bulb.   When his assistant said after a few months, let’s give this up.   It can’t be done.   Edison was reported to have said, “No.  We just now know over 10,000 ways that won’t work.”   
 
Robert Cavett, a great motivater, once said: “You don’t drown by falling into water, you only drown if you stay there.   It’s all right to get down, but don’t get down on yourself.”     All of us stumble, but resilience and determination make us keep on going when it is not going our way.
 
In sales, I have heard most salesmen give up after being told “no” 3 times.    But successful salesmen know that the ‘no’ is not personal, and you just have to keep on trying.   One of the greatest salesmen I ever met told me that he has found that it takes 30 attempts to sell, so he keeps up a record of all the ‘nos’.  When he gets to 25, he knows a ‘yes’ is coming. You build greater determination which makes you even more resilient.   

​While we are not selling our faith to the lost, we are presenting the Lord in sharing the gospel and we need to know that we may have to witness a number of times before we make headway.    If the roles were reversed, would you want that other person to give up on you if you said no a few times?

 
Determination will help you to develop the resilience you need to be consistent and successful in your life.  It all begins at the start of each day.   We must let God through the Holy Spirit guide us, and that begins by reading our bible and being in tune with God’s leadership.
 
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What Is Passive Income?

3/1/2023

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DISCLAIMER -  I am not a Financial Advisor and do not work for any Brokerage Firm.   The opinions given are of my own and are not to be used as professional advice.  These are my findings and can hopefully help you to make informed decisions on investing.   Consult a Broker or Lawyer before making any investment.

Few people realize the importance of Passive Income.    In life, we must either work for a paycheck, or we can wisely invest and let those investments pay us.   Last year I had virtually no substantial income from dividends.    By purchasing a lot of Growth Dividend Stocks, CEFs (Closed-End Funds) at huge discounts to Net Asset Value, and some Preferred Stocks, we have now over $70 per month coming in.   We are planning for over $100 per month in the next six months, with a goal to get above $500 within 2 years.

We did an article on DGI Dividend Growth Stocks (Click here).

This Article goes into CEF funds in detail.

And this one explains Preferred Stocks.
 
Passive income makes you money while you sleep.  We were taught in school to work hard, to make good grades, go to college, and then get a good high-paying job.   Put your money into the 401-K or IRA and then retire at 65 and be happy.    How does working your life away for 45 to 60 years sound like a good plan? If we can leverage some passive income to our advantage in our 20’s and 30’s, there is no reason we should have to work most of our lives.  If you are much older, it still works to your advantage, so keep on reading.  You are never too old to develop passive income.

Passive income is income that you don’t work for on a daily basis.   It can come from dozens of sources.  Some may have required earlier work, but it is mainly money today for efforts put in the past.  Probably the most common passive income is interest from your savings account.    Here is a short list of some Passive Income sources.

Common Passive Income Streams
  1. Interest from Savings accounts or Treasury bonds
  2. Dividend interest from Stocks that pay dividends]
  3. Income from Corporate bonds
  4. Rental income from houses or apartments you own and rent out
  5. Income from collections such as art or precious metals
  6. Royalty payments from oil and gas royalties
  7. Owning a business
  8. Residual payments from royalties on content-producing streams.  (Kindle books, regular books, YouTube channel productions, etc.
  9. On-Line courses you sell over and over.
  10. Farm or crop payments for land leased
  11. Any type of investment that returns dividends without you having to work for it.
 
We did articles on Dividend Paying Stocks and how to pick some good ones.   One was on the Dividend Aristocrats and the other was on the Dividend Kings.    Check those out for good leads on stocks that will not only pay dividends but grow in value also.

https://lifecanbesimple.net/blog/what-are-dividend-aristocrats

https://lifecanbesimple.net/blog/what-are-dividend-kings
 
Why Passive Income?  - SIMPLE AND REQUIRING NO INVOLVEMENT
 
You wake up and money flows into your bank accounts and all you do is watch it grow.  My friend Joshua King started writing content at the age of 36 and now has over 140 kindle books bringing in a monthly income of over $650.  With the compounding effect that this has, he will reach over $1,000 of book-producing revenue each month within five years.     So being a writer can clearly be a method of obtaining passive income.
 
Joshua King is the one who got me started on the quest for Passive Income.  This next book link is one of the top 5 most important Investment Books I have ever read.    Joshua wrote a 319-chapter book on just Passive Income named:  The Biggest Book on Passive Income Ever.    You can buy it at Amazon using this link:
 
Biggest Book on Passive Income
 
To be able to write on topics such as investing, we must study and read every day.  There is no substitute for filling our minds with new information that is pertinent to business and investing today.   Much bad information is there too, so learn whom you can listen to and whom you can not.  
 
Who should pursue Passive Income?   I think we all should.  Producing more income, allows us to give and help others in need.   And having a steady source of income is very comforting in tough times.
 
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    David Parham
    Investor and  Christian Minimalist

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