低利率时代，“收息”生活靠什么？

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the challenges faced by individuals, particularly retirees, in generating income from traditional "income-generating assets" due to declining interest rates and rental yields, leading to a shift towards dividend-paying stocks and dividend index funds as viable investment options [1][6]. Group 1: Current Income-Generating Assets - Bank deposit rates have significantly decreased, with a three-year fixed deposit rate currently at 1.25%, down from 2.6% three years ago, resulting in a drop in interest income from 78,000 to under 38,000 for a 1 million deposit [1][3]. - Money market funds are yielding around 1% annually based on recent calculations, indicating a low return for idle cash [3]. - Government bonds, such as the three-year savings bond issued in July, offer a coupon rate of 1.63%, while five-year bonds yield 1.7% [3]. - Rental yields in major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen are relatively low, at 2.10%, 1.93%, 1.90%, and 1.62% respectively, making real estate less attractive for income generation [3]. Group 2: Shift to Dividend Assets - Investors are increasingly turning to high-dividend stocks as a response to low interest rates and unsatisfactory rental returns, as dividends provide tangible returns on investment [3][6]. - Dividend yield is defined as the ratio of a company's dividend payout to its stock price, with higher dividends leading to higher yields [3]. - For instance, a stock with a 5% dividend yield would provide 50,000 in dividends for a 1 million investment, significantly outperforming traditional income sources [3]. Group 3: Dividend Index Funds - Many investors find it challenging to select individual stocks with stable and high dividends, leading to a preference for dividend index funds, which offer a more straightforward investment approach [4][5]. - Dividend index funds, such as the E Fund (515180) tracking the China Securities Dividend Index, select companies with a history of consistent dividends, with the index yielding 4.5% as of July [5]. - Other dividend index funds, like the Hang Seng Dividend Low Volatility ETF (159545) and the Dividend Low Volatility ETF (563020), also report yields in the range of 4% to 6%, significantly higher than traditional deposit rates [5][6]. Group 4: Investor Strategies - Investors like the character Wang Ayi are opting to allocate part of their savings into dividend index funds to achieve stable and higher returns [6]. - Another investor, Zhang, diversifies his investments across multiple dividend funds to ensure monthly cash flow from dividends, reflecting a strategic approach to income generation [6][9].