The Biggest Mistakes Dividend Investors Make

The Biggest Mistakes Dividend Investors Make

Author: Brad Johnson March 19, 2026 Duration: 10:36

In this episode, Brad Johnson breaks down the biggest mistakes dividend investors make and why chasing high yield can quietly hurt long-term results. He explains what dividend investors should actually focus on, how to identify stronger businesses with staying power, and why dividend growth matters far more than the highest starting yield. Brad also shares how Evergreen Capital thinks about pairing dividend growth stocks with alternative income-producing assets for high-net-worth investors.


Book a Call

https://zpr.io/W6JaycaP8EeT

Evergreen Capital

info@evergreencap.com

Connect with Brad Johnson

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyjohnson/


Key topics:

• Why the goal of dividend investing is lasting income, not just a high starting yield

• How yield traps can pull investors into weak businesses with unsustainable payouts

• What to look for in quality dividend growth stocks

• Why Texas Pacific Land Trust is a useful case study in dividend growth investing

• How yield on cost compounds over time

• The behavioral benefits of owning cash-flowing investments

• Why over-concentrating in REITs can create portfolio risk

• How payout ratios help reveal whether a dividend is sustainable

• The tradeoff between total return investing and dividend-focused investing

• Why high-net-worth investors often prefer income-producing portfolios


Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Dividend Investing

00:21 - The Goal of Dividend Investing

00:39 - Avoiding Yield Traps

01:40 - Finding Quality Dividend Growth Stocks

02:34 - Case Study: Texas Pacific Land Trust (TPL)

03:51 - The Power of Yield on Cost

04:31 - Behavioral Benefits of Dividends

05:20 - Risks of Over-Concentrating in REITs

06:08 - Understanding Payout Ratios

07:13 - Total Return vs Dividend Strategy

08:04 - Achieving Market Returns with Quality Growers

09:03 - Strategy for High-Net-Worth Investors


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


For those looking beyond the ticker symbols, The Alternative Investor explores the tangible and often complex world of assets that don't trade on a public exchange. Host Brad Johnson, drawing from his experience at Evergreen Capital, believes a well-rounded portfolio often exists outside the daily noise of the stock market. This podcast digs into the practicalities of private equity, real estate, venture capital, and other non-traditional avenues. While these opportunities can offer different paths to growth, they come with their own unique set of questions and due diligence. Each conversation is geared towards demystifying that process. You'll hear detailed discussions on how these investments actually work, the structures involved, and the long-term mindset they require. The aim isn't to offer quick tips, but to provide a clearer framework for evaluation. Johnson breaks down real-world cases and strategies, focusing on the critical factors that can influence an outcome. It’s a resource for anyone considering how to allocate capital towards assets that aren’t as easily quoted or sold, with the understanding that higher potential returns often walk hand-in-hand with increased complexity. Tune in for a straightforward take on building resilience and potential through alternative holdings.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Alternative Investor
Podcast Episodes
We Talk about a Purchase Agreement [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:52
After 2 ½ years of looking for a software business to buy with my partner, I think we’re finally getting towards the end! And at the end of the due diligence process when you’re going to buy a company… you’ve got to sign…
What is a Cap Rate? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:31
Today is going to be our all-encompassing, definitive episode all about on cap rates! What are they? How they are used? What’s the whole deal here? Tune in to find out!We discuss how they relate to interest rates, what t…
Investors Need Love Too [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:06
In this episode we’re going to be talking about investor relations — i.e. staying in touch with your investors and maintaining good relationships with them. Investors are people too, y’know! Just like your friends or spo…
How to Read a K-1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:28
Today’s episode is all about taxes! Specifically, we’re going to be talking about K-1s. A K-1 is a tax form that you get from private investment (typically an LLC.) on an investment you’ve made. This is the tax form you’…
Productivity Porn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:45
Productivity and how you get things done on a day-to-day basis is an ever-present issue for most everyone — including those in investing and alternative investing. There’s lots to do on a daily basis and you’ve got lots…
How to Raise Debt for a Real Estate Project [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:43
We’ve talked about finding deals, sourcing deals, putting a pitch deck together, raising money, and all that stuff — but we haven’t yet talked about how to go about raising debt for a real estate project.So today, we’re…
The Three Most Important Investment Metrics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:39
We’re getting technical today — so fasten your seatbelts, buckle up, take an extra sip of coffee and get ready for today’s show. We’re going to be diving into the topic of the three most important investment metric:; NPV…
What Should Go In Your Private Equity Pitch Deck [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:05
We’ve talked about sourcing and analyzing deals — but, we’ve yet to really get into the details of what goes into the pitch deck. The pitch deck is the document you’re going to send out to your investors to let them know…
We Talk To A Guy With An Innovative Apartment Investment Strategy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:08
This week on the show, we’ve invite on a real estate expert: Moses Kagan! Moses is a partner of Adaptive Realty — a property management company in Los Angeles.Adaptive Realty has a unique strategy with apartment building…
You Just Bought Real Estate, Now What? - EP.39 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:55
We’ve spent a lot of time on this podcast telling you how to find alternative investments — how to buy them, how to raise money for them, and more — but we haven’t talked a lot about what to do after you close. It’s real…