The Dividend Daily

Volatility has returned to the markets today, with an up-and-down tape indicating all eyes are on Washington and their fiscal cliff talks. Until some sort of resolution is announced, we expect this sort of behavior to continue.

Looking at specific market movers, we see shares of Guess (GES) rallied (but did finish well off its highs) on news of its special dividend payout, despite another dismal earnings report. It looks like investors are simply ignoring company fundamentals in an attempt to game the special payout. In other news, shares of Cracker Barrel (CBRL) ended lower following that company’s lackluster earnings results. Tiffany & Co. (TIF) got hit as well following an earnings disappointment as well as lowered profit guidance for 2013.

Shares of Walt Disney (DIS) gained a bit as the company announced a 25% hike in the annual dividend payout (bringing its yield to a still-low 1.5%). Wall Street analyst calls are also moving things as we approach the afternoon hours. We had shares of IAC Interactive (IACI) in the green following positive comments, while shares of semiconductor giant Intel (INTC) continues to be on the receiving end of cautious chatter. Finally, tough day for retail giant Kohl’s (KSS) – down nearly 12%, as monthly sales data out disappointed investors.

Second Chances are Getting Harder to Come By

In life, we get a certain number of opportunities. Some are stepping stones to bigger and even better moments, while others are a sideways move at best. The mediocre opportunities (meaning entry-level jobs) have been plentiful for centuries, but even those are getting harder to come by these days. The reality is that a only a minority of the population will put themselves in a position to excel, whereas the majority will spend a great deal of time contemplating, procrastinating, or even fumbling the best opportunities they have been given.

We are now at a point where second chances have become very costly. Think about it. Your child picks a college, a particular major, graduates, and then decides he needs to go back to school after finding out the field he has interested in is not offering the opportunities they were expecting. The student loans pile on and the debts grow larger. Some will never get the chance for a do-over in college because of financial restrictions. They must instead make the best of what they have available.

As we always say, time is of the essence when it comes to your money. The longer you search for the best opportunities, the longer you delay to journey toward getting on the right side of the wealth-building equation.

Choosing the right path is also essential. We see gifted pro athletes and celebrities all the time who follow the wrong road and wind up squandering fortunes — or dooming their chances for success before they ever really make it big. Regular folks like us face similar pressures to perform. The window of opportunity to excel is relatively small, and who knows if we’ll ever get another big break down the line.

Keeping your confidence high and staying passionate about wanting to succeed is also integral. You owe it to yourself to be in a situation where you will make a difference. The longer you can stay away from needing a second chance, the farther ahead of the pack you will remain. Deliver greatness, and make that be the calling card that will continually open doors for you.

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks, as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here.