The ins and outs of…Dividend Reinvestment Plans

Article Excerpt

Some companies offer their shareholders dividend reinvestment plans, or DRIPs, which allow investors to receive additional shares instead of cash dividends. For a number of reasons, we think DRIPs are a good way to slowly build wealth over a long period of time. First, DRIPs eliminate the nuisance effect of receiving small cash-dividend payments. Second, some DRIPs let you buy shares from your reinvested dividends at a 2% to 5% discount on the current share price. Third, many DRIPs also allow you to buy additional shares on a monthly or quarterly basis without paying commissions. Keep in mind, though, that too many investors choose stocks solely because of a DRIP. There is no harm in participating in a DRIP, but the availability of a reinvestment plan should be viewed as a bonus and not as the sole reason to invest. Keep in mind that low-cost brokerages and online investing have slashed commission costs. That means DRIPs are less of an advantage than they…