Indeed! If you have $1.2 million in cash, investing it to produce a 5% dividend gets you an income of $60,000 a year before taxes -- while $1800 a month is $21,

Indeed! If you have $1.2 million in cash, investing it to produce a 5% dividend gets you an income of $60,000 a year before taxes -- while $1800 a month is $21,600 a year. (Hint: Chevron's stock has fallen so far that their dividend, which they haven't lowered, is 5% of their stock price. The chance won't last forever; when the price of oil goes back up, Chevron will go back up with it.) An income from investments of $60,000 a year isn't enough to live like a king, but it's certainly enough to live like a yeoman, even after taxes. If you buy an expensive house with that money, instead of buying an income stream with it, the best you can hope for is to live like a wage-slave.