📈 The Overlooked Trick That Doubles Long-Term Returns
Most beginners ignore this one feature in their investing app—but it can double your gains over time. Here’s how to turn it on and why it matters.
Hey there,
Are you happy that you have an investment portfolio, but feel like it’s not growing fast enough? I’ve been there.
Today we’re talking about one of the simplest (and most ignored) investing habits that can quietly double your long-term returns: reinvesting your dividends.
Quick Refresher: What is a Dividend?
Dividends are those cash payments companies send you (usually every quarter) after you invest in their company. Think of it as their way of saying thank you for investing in our company.
Most brokers will ask: Do you want that cash deposited into your bank account, or used to buy more shares?
Most people take the cash. Big mistake! Here’s why that choice matters more than you think…
A 20-Year Case Study
BlackRock studied the UK stock market (FTSE 100) between 2004 and 2024, when the average dividend yield was roughly 3.5%. Here’s what they found:
If you invested £10,000 and reinvested your dividends, your portfolio grew to £25,782.
If you took the cash instead, your investment only grew to £16,980.
The U.S. market isn’t much different:
Guinness Global Investors found that investing $100 in 1940 grew to roughly $525,000 by 2019 with dividends reinvested.
Taking the cash payment would have grown to only $30,000.
Same stocks. Same market. Same investor. One small decision made a $495,000 difference.
That’s the power of compounding.
“In December 2022, 51% of people who earn more than $100,000 reported living paycheck to paycheck.”
- time.com
Why It Works
The math is simple, but powerful. When you reinvest, you're buying more shares with each dividend payment.
More shares = bigger future dividends.
Bigger dividends = even more shares. It snowballs.
I know it feels weird at first because those beginning dividend payments might only buy you 0.3 shares or some odd number. But that's exactly the point. You're accumulating fractional pieces that add up over decades.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
People leave dividend reinvestment off because they want to "see" their returns or use them for bills they have now. But taking dividends as cash is like pulling money out of a slot machine that's on a winning streak. So don’t:
🚫 Take dividends as cash and forget to reinvest manually
🚫 Assume small dividends don’t matter
🚫 Turn off dividend reinvestment out of fear or confusion
What You Can Do Today
✅ Log into your investing app and check if dividend reinvestment ("DRIP") is turned on
✅ If it's off, turn it on for any dividend-paying stocks you own (you can worry about being selective later)
✅ Go enjoy life—those reinvestments will now do the work for you
Have questions about setting this up? Just hit reply.
Talk soon,
-Isaiah from Earn Out Loud