Do you ever get to the end of the month and can’t remember anything you did? That was my June. Shani had a well-deserved holiday for most of the month and Jospeh and I just tried to tread water during her absence. Every day felt like a grind. And the weather in Sydney didn’t help which is something I can’t believe I’m saying after living for many years in the northeast of the US.

In a way my June was a bit like investing. More days are forgettable than memorable. It seems like you are getting nowhere. And it is hard to keep sight of the destination as the unexpected bills keep coming and the temptations to spend money constantly arise.

I’ve been thinking a fair amount about retirement this month. It is a constant question I receive from emailers. And I know it is the one universal goal that all investors share. For too many people the goal of a great retirement is unattainable for the simple reason that effort isn’t made to define what that means.

I outlined what it takes to estimate the saving you need to retire. I’m also doing a free retirement bootcamp webinar series in July. Sign-up here. And even if you can’t attend it will be recorded and I will send out the replay with some reading material for anyone that registers.

I have some time until retirement. And I want the financial assets I’ve amassed to contribute to the things that make me happy along the way. That is why I’m an income investor with my non-retirement assets.

I’ve written a lot about income investing over the years. I’ve explained why I’m an income investor. I’ve outlined my approach to income investing. I’ve shared the metrics I use to evaluate my income producing investments. But I’ve decided it is time to share the specific shares and ETFs that I think are opportunities for income investors today. Part 1 covered dividend growth. Part 2 covered current high yields. I think a combination of both is the best approach for any income investor.

Good month or bad month we all need to try to shuffle forward in the general direction of our goals. And for me part of that is trying to keep learning. I read Michael Lewis’ book on Nobel Prize winning economists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. The book is called the Undoing Project and I plan on sharing some lessons next month. Give it a read. It reminded me of the story about Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller and the concept of enough. Read more about it here and how it can help all of us become better investors.

I’m off for a week of leave in my favourite hotel in the world. I’ve written about how my thoughts drift to investing in the beautiful pool. Any questions or comments – email me at [email protected]

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Mark LaMonica