Free Tool
Monthly Dividend Income Planner
Enter your holdings and their payment schedules to visualize your monthly dividend income calendar. Spot gaps, smooth out your payouts, and plan an even income stream.
| Ticker | Shares | Annual dividend / share | Payment schedule | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Projected monthly dividend income
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Total annual income$0
Average monthly income$0
Smallest month$0
Evenness (smallest month as % of average)0%
A monthly dividend income planner shows how your yearly dividend income distributes across the 12 months of the year. Because most US stocks pay quarterly — but on different cycles — a portfolio built without planning often has concentrated payment months and near-zero income months. This tool helps you visualize your payment calendar before you buy, and redirect contributions toward holdings that fill your gaps.
The three US quarterly dividend cycles
Nearly every US dividend payer falls into one of three quarterly cycles. Knowing which cycle each of your holdings is on is the key to building a smooth monthly income stream.
| Cycle | Payment months | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle 1 | January, April, July, October | Coca-Cola (KO), Procter & Gamble (PG), Altria (MO) |
| Cycle 2 | February, May, August, November | Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), McDonald's (MCD), AT&T (T) |
| Cycle 3 | March, June, September, December | Microsoft (MSFT), Home Depot (HD), SCHD |
A portfolio built entirely from Cycle 3 stocks (common for tech-heavy investors) gets large income in Mar/Jun/Sep/Dec and near-zero in other months. Mixing across cycles solves this.
Monthly-paying stocks and ETFs
A small group of stocks pays monthly, which dramatically smooths any income calendar. Commonly used by retirees:
- Realty Income (O) — the “Monthly Dividend Company”
- STAG Industrial (STAG)
- Main Street Capital (MAIN)
- JEPI / JEPQ — JPMorgan covered-call income ETFs
- SPHD — Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility
- DIVO — Amplify CWP Enhanced Dividend Income
How to use this planner
- Click Load sample portfolio to see an example, or clickAdd holding and enter your own.
- For each holding, enter the ticker, number of shares, annual dividend per share, and pick the payment schedule.
- Review the monthly bar chart. Any short bars are gaps — months where you earn less than average. Tall bars are concentration months.
- Use the evenness score (shown below the chart) to measure how smooth your income calendar is. Above 70% is very smooth; below 40% means significant gaps.
- Adjust holdings (add a monthly payer, swap cycles) and watch the calendar rebalance in real time.
Monthly income planner — Frequently asked questions
- Why does dividend income vary month to month?
- Most US stocks pay quarterly but on different 3-month cycles. Companies like Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble pay in Jan/Apr/Jul/Oct, while Johnson & Johnson and McDonald's pay in Feb/May/Aug/Nov, and Microsoft and Home Depot pay in Mar/Jun/Sep/Dec. Knowing your holdings' schedules lets you spread payouts across every month.
- How do I get even monthly dividend income?
- Combine holdings across all three quarterly cycles plus monthly payers. A common approach: one holding from each quarterly cycle (e.g. KO + JNJ + MSFT) plus a monthly payer like Realty Income (O) or a monthly-pay ETF like JEPI or JEPQ. This planner shows you the result before you invest.
- What are monthly dividend stocks?
- Monthly dividend stocks pay every month instead of quarterly. Common US examples include Realty Income (O), STAG Industrial, Main Street Capital (MAIN), and monthly-pay ETFs like JEPI, JEPQ, SPHD, and DIVO.
- What does the "evenness" score mean?
- Evenness compares your smallest month's income to your average monthly income. 100% means perfectly even payouts every month. Below 50% means you have large gaps and large concentration months — common for portfolios built entirely from one quarterly cycle.
- Does this track ex-dividend dates?
- This planner groups by payment month at a schedule level. For exact ex-dividend dates and automatic brokerage sync, the Infnits mobile app pulls real dividend dates from every connected brokerage.