I don't make big moves in my portfolio very often, but now that my daughter is off to college I have been working on some tax-based shifts. This is the backstory for why I bought more shares of W.P. Carey (NYSE: WPC), one of my favorite real estate investment trusts (REITs). Here's a quick look at some of the specifics.

I have long considered dividends a safety valve for my family. I figured, if I were to lose my job I could simply start using the dividend income for daily expenses. I knew this decision would result in paying extra taxes, specifically for REIT dividends, which are taxed at individual tax rates. I viewed it as a form of insurance while my daughter was young. 

Image source: Getty Images.

Continue reading

Source Fool.com