How to Build a Growing Passive Income Stream

Here’s how to make your money not just work for you, but also make that passive income increase consistently each year.

| More on:
investment research

Image source: Getty Images

Earning passive income is something we can all agree is one of the best feelings in the world. Having the ability to earn money from something continuously, without putting in much, if any, effort for it is a wonderful feeling.

By letting your money work for you, you have the freedom to do anything. And the longer you collect passive income and let it compound, the faster it can grow.

So while we want to make as much passive income as we can today, what’s more important is making sure our money is protected and continues to grow consistently.

If you’re going to continue to saving and add cash to your portfolio, then your money and passive income will already be growing quite rapidly.

But even if you aren’t adding any more cash to your investment portfolio, you can still earn a growing stream of passive income for years with the right stocks.

How to earn a growing passive income stream

As with any investing strategy, the first key is that you need to find high-quality stocks. What’s most important before any growth is that your money is protected. Because if you lose your money buying speculative assets, you’ve lost the assets that are supposed to be working for you.

As dividend investors trying to build a stream of passive income, it’s also crucial that the company has consistently growing and robust operations. This is paramount to ensure a stable and growing dividend.

With these high-quality dividend growth stocks, you can continuously grow both your portfolio value and the passive income that it generates. And with the power of compound interest, the longer you give your money to grow, the faster it will climb.

Not only will these dividend growth stocks increase their payouts to you as an investor, which will naturally increase the passive income you’re receiving, but when you reinvest this capital into new stocks or more shares, that will also grow your potential income.

This is why it’s so crucial to buy high-quality stocks that will protect your money and grow consistently. Once you find these stocks, all that’s left to do is give them time to grow on their own.

A top stock for dividend investors

If you’re looking to build a passive income stream, there are several high-quality dividend stocks to buy, especially on the Canadian Dividend Aristocrats list. Some of the best to start with, though, are utility stocks such as Fortis (TSX:FTS)(NYSE:FTS).

Fortis is one of the best utility stocks in North America. The company operates electric and gas utility businesses all across North America.

These are regulated operations, so it’s important to have businesses in different jurisdictions. More importantly, though, gas and electrical services are crucial to consumers and businesses. Generally, no matter what’s going on with the economy, you need utilities.

This is why Fortis is one of the best dividend stocks to start with when building a passive income stream.

Besides its high-quality operations, though, one of the main reasons it’s a great investment is its steady dividend and consistent growth. Fortis has increased its dividend for 47 consecutive years.

And in the last five years, that dividend has been increased by more than 34% or a compound annual growth rate of more than 6%. Buying high-quality stocks that pay consistently growing dividends can do that for you. Plus, the above example doesn’t even take into account the money you could reinvest into more dividend stocks to grow that passive income even faster.

So if you’re looking to build a consistently growing passive income stream, I’d stick with high-quality dividend stocks like Fortis.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium service or advisor. We’re Motley! Questioning an investing thesis — even one of our own — helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer, so we sometimes publish articles that may not be in line with recommendations, rankings or other content.

Fool contributor Daniel Da Costa has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends FORTIS INC.

More on Dividend Stocks

woman checks off all the boxes
Dividend Stocks

The CRA Is Watching These 6 Retirement Income Sources

The CRA isn't some evil genius, but it's certainly going to make sure you're reporting every retirement income source.

Read more »

Colored pins on calendar showing a month
Dividend Stocks

An 8% Dividend Stock Paying Cash Every Single Month

KP Tissue is a small-cap TSX stock that offers you a yield of 8% in 2025. Is the dividend stock…

Read more »

Real estate investment concept with person pointing on growth graph and coin stacking to get profit from property
Dividend Stocks

3 Blue Chips That Could Pay Canadian Investors for Life

These blue-chip stocks have strong fundamentals and a growing earnings base, and could pay higher dividends for life.

Read more »

Blocks conceptualizing Canada's Tax Free Savings Account
Dividend Stocks

Transform Your TFSA Into a Cash-Generating Machine With Just $10,000

Can a one-time investment of $10,000 in your TFSA earn $2,141 in annual cash payouts? The power of compounding can…

Read more »

Piggy bank on a flying rocket
Dividend Stocks

7% Yielding Stocks to Consider for Passive Income

Telus (TSX:T) stock and another 7% yielding play to invest in before the fourth quarter.

Read more »

how to save money
Dividend Stocks

The Ultimate Energy Stock to Buy With $1,000 Right Now

Suncor Energy Inc (TSX:SU) stock is both cheap and performing well. It's a winning combination.

Read more »

chart reflected in eyeglass lenses
Dividend Stocks

Should You Buy BCE Stock While it’s Below $35?

Down 56% from all-time highs, BCE is a TSX dividend stock that offers you a yield of 5.5% while trading…

Read more »

diversification is an important part of building a stable portfolio
Dividend Stocks

7.2% Dividend Yield! I’m Buying This Dividend Darling and Holding for Decades

Telus is a top telecom stock that's posting strong cash flows and strong opportunities for growth in the long term.

Read more »