Many of us dream of earning money without having to do a lot of extra work. This is known as passive income. because it keeps coming in, but you dont have to do much for it. You arent actively trying to earn it; instead, you set something in motion, and then enjoy the passive income as it rolls in.

One of the ways to create passive income is to build an income portfolio. An income portfolio is an investment portfolio designed specifically to provide you with a regular revenue stream. Its not meant to give you huge capital gains (although you can experience capital gains). The main purpose is to provide steady income. However, its important to note that building an income portfolio isnt something that happens overnight. You need to plan your income portfolio, and build it over the course of years.

Creating an Income Portfolio

As you consider building an income portfolio, your focus should be on investments that offer regular payouts in some form. Dividend paying stocks are popular for income portfolios because they regularly pay out a portion of profits to shareholders. You can choose certain stocks, such as dividend aristocrats, that have increased payouts consecutively for at least 25 years. This is one way to increase the chances that you will have stable cash flow.

Another popular choice for income portfolios is the use of bonds. These amount to owning a piece of the loan to certain organizations. You can purchase corporate and government bonds, and receive regular interest payments. At the end of the term, you receive your principal back, and you can reinvest in more bonds. Certificates of deposit and other interest bearing accounts can also be incorporated in an income portfolio.

For those who can handle more risk, the use of P2P lending can be another interesting way to boost an income portfolio. You have the chance of higher returns better income from interest but you have to accept that there is a greater risk.

In the end, though, its important to understand that all investment comes with risk, even the relatively safe investments that many people use in an income portfolio. Dividends can be cut, or eliminated altogether, at any time, or you can sustain capital losses from a stock price drop. Bonds and P2P loans can default. Even with cash products, you are at risk due to the ravages of inflation.

Patience in Building Your Income Portfolio

Building an income portfolio requires patience, though. Most people dont have a large chunk of capital that they can just put into an income investment for instance cash flow. Instead, it requires years to build up the portfolio so that your holdings of dividend stocks, bonds, and other investments are large enough to provide you with returns that can reasonably contribute to your income. Indeed, it can take seven, 10 years, or more years, depending on how much money you can put toward building your portfolio.

As you build your income portfolio, its important that you create a plan. Carefully consider the investments you choose, and make a plan to contribute to your portfolio regularly. Over time, your portfolio will grow and so will your potential income stream.

Editor’s Note: I’ve begun tracking my assets through Personal Capital. I’m only using the free service so far and I no longer have to log into all the different accounts just to pull the numbers. And with a single screen showing all my assets, it’s much easier to figure out when I need to rebalance or where I stand on the path to financial independence. They developed this pretty nifty 401K Fee Analyzer that will show you whether you are paying too much in fees, as well as an Investment Checkup tool to help determine whether your asset allocation fits your risk profile. The platform literally takes a few minutes to sign up and it’s free to use by following this link here. For those trying to build wealth, Personal Capital is worth a look.

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