Blog
Plain answers to the questions dividend investors ask most, with the numbers worked out. Every figure can be checked in one of our calculators.
How ex-dividend dates work, and the one day that decides who gets paid Under T+1 settlement the ex-date and the record date are the same day. What that means for when you buy and sell, with holiday examples. 
Stock splits and dividends: what happens to your payout when a stock splits A split cuts the dividend per share, not what you collect. Why the dividend history on quote sites can look like a cut, and what to check. 
Why REITs and BDCs pay such high dividends, and the tax catch They have to pay out at least 90% of their taxable income. Where the high yield comes from, how it is taxed, and the risks behind it. 
Qualified vs ordinary dividends: how each is taxed in 2026 The same $1,000 dividend can cost $0 in federal tax or $408. The 2026 thresholds, the holding period rule, and where to find each number on your 1099. 
Should you reinvest your dividends? DRIP vs taking the cash Same stock, same 20 years: reinvesting ended at $122,089, taking the cash at $89,378. When reinvesting is the right call, and when it isn’t.