Investing is as much a journey of personal growth as it is a path to financial growth. One of the most important (and humbling) things you’ll come to know about yourself is what you actually don’t know.

Identifying good value is crucial, and it’s one of the most challenging aspects of being an investor, especially considering the numerous ways you can value a stock. In my opinion, this is the most simple and straightforward method of doing so.

Building wealth with dividend investing doesn’t have to be like finding a needle in a haystack. That’s one of the most underrated benefits of doing this, and it’s one of the reasons why I think this is a great approach for anyone, especially investors who are just starting out.

One of the things I like most about dividend investing is that it’s typically pretty boring. It’s usually a pretty low-stress way to invest, but this week in the world of dividend investing was most definitely a departure from the norm, and has been more high-octane that most with nothing but bad news.

In my portfolio, there are quite a few dividend stock discounts to take advantage of right now. Out of the bunch, two stocks, in particular, have caught my eye during this downturn.

My biggest struggle as an investor came from not having a concrete process for researching stocks. Because of that, I wasn’t able to think for myself, and I didn’t have the tools I needed to think for myself.

Even during tough economic periods, family-controlled businesses tend to be incredibly dependable when it comes to paying dividends. Fortunately, for us investors, there's no shortage of dividend paying companies that contain a strong family presence at their core.

In the few short years that I’ve been investing, none of my dividend stocks have moved with the ferocity that Williams-Sonoma (WSM) has. But what exactly is driving this success story? This newsletter delves into the company a bit more.

When share prices seem to be doing nothing but going up, it's understandable if you’re starting to feel the fear of missing out. During these times, it helps to listen to the advice of John Bogle, the founder of Vanguard, who said that “dividends are an investor’s best friend.”

Dividend investing consists of a series of small victories, two of which I recently experienced in my portfolio.

While it’s true that dividend cuts do sometimes come out of nowhere, there are a few key signs to watch for that can suggest a higher degree of dividend safety.

By understanding what never changes about human behavior (things like fear, greed, etc.), you can build a more durable dividend portfolio. Risk, recessions, and stock market crashes can never be fully controlled or eliminated, but they can be anticipated.

You know how it goes: You start something new, and at first, it's super exciting—maybe even a bit obsessive. But after a while, whatever that thing is starts to lose its luster, and you find yourself in this "boring middle" where things begin to feel more routine, and possibly a bit monotonous. I think every investor reaches this “boring middle” in their dividend investing journey (probably more than once) and this is how it happens.