Instructions for Calculating Total Dividends for the Past Year

Calculating your total dividends received over the past year is crucial to the portfolio review process. It helps you understand how much income your investments have generated. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to calculate your total dividend income:

Step 1: Gather Your Investment Statements

Collect all your investment statements for the past year. This includes statements from brokerage accounts, retirement accounts, and dividend statements from individual companies if you hold direct stock.

Step 2: Identify Dividend Payments

Look for sections labeled “Dividends,” “Dividend Income,” or similar terms on each statement. These sections list the dividends paid out for each investment over the statement period.

Step 3: Record Dividend Amounts

Create a list or spreadsheet to record the dividend amounts. For each investment, note down the amount of dividends received. Be sure to do this for each statement period throughout the year.

Example:

Investment	Jan – Mar	Apr – Jun	Jul – Sep	Oct – Dec	Total
Stock A	$50	$50	$50	$50	$200
Stock B	$30	$30	$30	$30	$120
ETF C	$25	$25	$25	$25	$100
Total	$105	$105	$105	$105	$420

Step 4: Sum Up the Dividends

Add up all the dividend amounts for each investment to get the total dividends received for each quarter or statement period. Then, sum these totals to get your annual dividend income.

Step 5: Check for Accuracy

Double-check your calculations to ensure accuracy. Make sure you have included all dividend payments and that there are no arithmetic errors.

Step 6: Analyze the Results

Once you have your total dividend amount for the year, you can use this figure to analyze your investment performance, compare it with your income goals, and make informed decisions for the future.

*Use this as part of Our Annual Portfolio Review Process