4 Passive Income Streams for Boomers Retiring in the Next 5 Years
Written by
John Csiszar
Edited by
Levi Leidy
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Reviewed
by Experts
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
If you’re a baby boomer retiring in the next five years, this is the time to maximize your income and savings. Thanks to catch-up contributions, you can sock away an additional $1,000 into your IRA or $7,500 to your 401(k) plan, so this is a great time to earn extra money and shore up your retirement savings.
As a pre-retirement boomer, you’re probably not too keen on picking up a second job to generate extra income. That’s why passive income strategies can be a great idea. Here are some of the best options.
Rental Real Estate
Probably the top dog when it comes to passive income ideas for boomers is rental real estate.
It’s not 100% “passive,” as you’ll have to buy and maintain a property, find renters and process paperwork. But once you’ve got it all set up, a rental property business can be pretty hands-off. Every month you’ll receive a check that you can use to offset your mortgage, pay your bills or invest in other assets.
Dividend Stocks
Buying dividend stocks is one way to generate true passive income. Depending on the stocks you buy, you can earn 3%, 4%, 5% or even more on your money, in addition to any capital appreciation that the stocks can generate.
If you stick with the so-called “Dividend Aristocrats,” or companies that have not only paid but also raised their dividend for at least 25 consecutive years, you’ll tap into an income stream that is likely to increase every year as well.
Generally speaking, the dividends you receive from stocks are taxed at a special rate of just 20%, 15% or even 0%, depending on your income and tax-filing status. This makes dividend stocks more tax-efficient than bonds, with the added kicker of potential capital appreciation.
E-Books/Online Courses
One of the reasons that many older workers are paid more is that they have a wealth of experience. As you approach retirement, it’s likely that you’re an expert in at least one field, if not numerous ones. This experience is valuable, and people are willing to pay for what you know.
If you can successfully convey your knowledge through an e-book or online course, you can generate passive income for the rest of your life. There will be some upfront work involved as you create your product, but once it’s finalized, it can remain online and generate passive revenue with almost no more work involved — although updating your work periodically and marketing it online can help boost sales.
Make Money With Your Car
Your car may be a depreciating asset, but that doesn’t mean it can’t generate passive income for you.
If you don’t use your car very much — or if you have an extra one — you can rent it out on a platform like Turo. For an out-of-the-box idea, consider using your car to advertise. Companies like Wrapify and Carvertise will match your location and driving habits with a business that wants to slap an ad onto your car in exchange for a few hundred dollars per month. If you don’t mind being a driving billboard, this can be an easy way to passively earn income.
The Bottom Line
If you’re just looking to earn a few bucks once in a while, more common strategies like selling your clutter online or at a garage sale can do the trick. But for ongoing passive income, you’ll need to put a more consistent strategy into place.
The above ideas can help boost your monthly income by hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month. Over the five-year period before you retire, this can make a big difference, translating into tens of thousands of additional dollars for your retirement years.
More From GOBankingRates
