Dividend Projections
Understand how Dividend Wealth forecasts your income — from today's run-rate to month-by-month payout charts and long-range what-if scenarios.
Three numbers, three purposes
Your dashboard surfaces several income figures. They are related but not interchangeable:
- Forward Income — today's 12-month run-rate at current dividend rates
- Forecasted Dividends — each future payment projected individually with timing and growth
- Goals & What-If — long-range scenarios including optional DRIP modeling
Where Projections Appear
Portfolio Overview — Expected Annual Income
Open any portfolio and land on the Overview tab. The top KPI row shows your forward 12-month income and forward yield. Scroll to Expected Annual Income for monthly and daily averages, YTD progress toward your income goal, and Next 30 days expected — a near-term payout total. The bar chart below Goal Progress compares realized vs forecasted income month by month.
Income tab — 12-month forward projections
Switch to the Income tab for annual income, YTD realized, and projected totals. The Upcoming payouts (90d) table lists every expected payment with ticker, date, status (Declared or Forecasted), confidence tier, and dollar amount — grouped by month. The 12-month forecasted income figure is the sum of projected payments landing in the next year.
Calendar tab — projection charts by month
The portfolio Calendar tab shows a month-by-month grid of dividend events on your holdings. The header summarizes declared and expected dollar totals for the selected month. Click any event for amount, yield, payment date, and declared vs forecasted status. These same projected payments also power the site-wide Dividend Calendar.
Goals & What-If — long-range forecasts
Open Goals & What-If on your portfolio to model income over a longer horizon. Toggle DRIP on or off in the projection settings to see how reinvesting dividends compounds your income over time — separate from the cash payout schedule on Income and Calendar. Standard and Premium plans unlock full dividend forecasting, safety scores, and 10-year projection views.
Declared vs. Forecasted
Declared payouts are confirmed by the company — amount and date are known. Forecasted payouts are projected from each holding's payment history and growth patterns. They carry a confidence tier (High, Medium, or Low) so you know how much to trust the estimate.
Forecast dates may fall on weekends or holidays and can shift when companies announce official schedules. Projections update as new dividend data arrives — market dividend data refreshes daily, and the dividend-history dataset behind forecasts refreshes weekly.
Accuracy Starts With Your Holdings
Every projection is scaled by your share counts. If transactions are wrong — especially around stock splits — income forecasts will be wrong too. Enter the exact price and quantity from your brokerage statement and let the system handle split adjustments. See Adding Transactions for the full walkthrough.
Common Questions
Why is Forecasted income higher than Forward Income?
Forecasted income models expected dividend raises and exact payment timing. Forward Income flatly annualizes today's rate with no growth assumption. When holdings are expected to raise, the forecast sits above the indicated figure.
Are projections guaranteed?
No. Dividends can be cut, skipped, or rescheduled. Forecasts are educated estimates built from real payment history — useful for planning, not a promise of future payouts.
Where can I read the full math?
We publish transparent methodology pages — no black-box models. Read Forward Income and Forecasted Dividends for step-by-step calculation details.
Related Guides
Still have questions? Visit the Help Center or email us at customerservice@dividend-wealth.com