To be a successful investor, one needs to manage his or her expectations. What kind of results are you seeking?

Some people expect instant results. If they buy a stock and it doesn’t go up the very first day they own it, they’re disappointed. Others are more patient, watching and waiting for good long-term investment ideas before acting. still others will never actually put any money to work, and don’t get much further than doing a bit of initial research. All of these people likely had some preconceived notions about investing that led them to where they are today. I believe that a person’s mindset is extremely important in determining their level of success — not just in investing, but in their career and personal lives as well.

In my newsletter, I try to make investors aware of all the factors involved in generating wealth. I’m not here to simply tell people that dividend stocks have outperformed the overall market averages for decades, or how incredible compound interest is for investors who consistently put money to work over time. I like to closely examine the various influences around us at different stages of our lives, and how they affect our spending and investing habits.

I urge you to remain open-minded about all money matters. Always be willing to learn more, and don’t be afraid to reconsider a previously-held viewpoint when new evidence emerges. also bear in mind that our careers, savings, spending habits, and investing lives are all intertwined.

Success is often defined by money, and despite the fact that money doesn’t buy happiness, the truth is that money can often lead to great opportunities to better your overall life. when you build a solid financial foundation, you’ll avoid much of the everyday money stresses that plague so many people. plus, you’ll be able afford the finer things in life — whatever those things are for you.

Once your financial “house” is in order, you should then seek to stockpile as many income-producing assets you can afford to buy with cash and debt. Of course, debt should only be used sparingly and carefully. for instance, I’m a big fan of income-producing real estate properties, and only borrowing money when a property can carry itself with positive cash flow. regardless of the investing focus, your mindset should remain the same. Remember, every money decision you make affects the other components of your financial life.

We can all fuss about the size of our bank accounts, our job that is making us miserable, or other factors holding us back. or, we can make the changes necessary to improve our “luck.” Ultimately, your current luck in life will be built upon the actions you take, and a solid frame of mind is a critical piece of the puzzle.

April 17th IRA Contribution Deadline: last Reminder!

One of the best long-term retirement strategies an investor can use is investing in dividend-paying stocks within a Roth IRA. Roth IRA distributions, including capital gains, interest, and DIVIDENDS are tax-free once you turn 59 1/2 years old, and the account has been established for longer than five tax years. Dividends paid into a Roth account are never taxed, even when withdrawn. This special treatment differs from dividends accumulated in a Traditional IRA, which would be taxed during withdrawals. the best part of a Traditional IRA is the tax credit is counted the year you do it.

Some accountants prefer clients to take the traditional road, knowing it can ease one’s tax burden for this year. do remember, though, that withdrawals taken from any IRA account before age 59 1/2, including income from dividends, are subject to a 10 percent penalty tax in addition to ordinary income taxation.

Always consult with a tax specialist before making any moves that may incur tax consequences. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with purchasing dividend stocks within a Traditional IRA either, but Roth IRAs are particularly attractive to dividend investors looking to maximize their future retirement withdrawals.

For those of you who are self-employed, you have the benefit of building a retirement nest egg very quickly with a SEP-IRA. If you’re self-employed, you can contribute 25% of your earned income or $50,000, whichever is less, to a SEP plan for 2012. Think of all the high-quality dividend stocks you can be putting to work for yourself — that’s the true essence of making your money work for you! again, talk to your tax professional and see how you can take advantage of this type of account.

Call your broker and find out what you need to do to make sure you can get your IRA contribution over to them in time to beat the deadline!

Go Beyond This Newsletter

We know many of you enjoy reading the daily newsletter, but remember that with our Dividend.com Premium service, the newsletter is just one small component of what we offer. here are the “big Three” benefits of our Premium service:

- the Best Dividend Stocks List is used by tens of thousands of investors to help build their own portfolios.

- creating your own Watchlist allows you to track the performance, news, and upcoming dividend payouts of the particular stocks you care about.

- Finally, we offer the most complete and easy-to-use dividend data on the web. Many subscribers use this data as part of a “Dividend Capture” trading strategy, but long-term investors can use it to keep track of impending payouts. Just visit our Ex-Dividend Calendar for a complete outlook on which companies will be paying out soon.

We don’t ask for a credit card to use our free trial, and we don’t bill you when your trial ends. no obligation whatsoever! So keep enjoying the newsletter, but please give Dividend.com Premium a shot if you haven’t already subscribed!

An important Note Regarding the Best Dividend Stocks List

We want to make sure everyone understands that the stocks on our Best Dividend Stocks List are the names we currently like for new investor capital, regardless of what date the stock was first recommended on. If and when a stock is removed from the list, we will clearly state whether the stock should be sold (which is rare but occasionally will happen), or simply held in one’s account until we see a better entry point or catalyst.

And here’s one last thing to remember about what we do here at Dividend.com. It’s not just the names that we recommend that can help you build wealth, but also the things we try to steer you away from that are just as important. Forget about speculative or penny stocks, chasing unprofitable IPOs, and listening to the manic talking heads in the business media!

Thank you for sharing part of your weekend with me, and please be sure to pass this post on to anyone you think we can get inspired and educated about money, building wealth, and using common sense to do so.

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

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