A second income can really come in handy. Especially if you don’t have to lift a finger to earn it. And it can be done, by investing in a Stocks and Shares ISA.
Growing numbers of Britons have second jobs or side hustles. But it’s possible to get a secondary source of income, and with a lot less effort, by investing in a spread of FTSE 100 shares. UK blue-chip stocks pay some of the most generous dividends in the world. It’s passive income, and it can really build up over time.
How can I use stocks to boost my spending power?
Time is the key word here. While you can generate dividend income almost from day one, by purchasing a top dividend income stock, it takes time to grow into something really worth having.
Let’s say someone’s aiming for an income of £14,713 a year. I’ve chosen that number, because it’s the average wage from a UK part-time job. How much investors need in their ISA to earn it depends on the overall yield.
While the FTSE 100 has an average yield of 3.3%, it’s possible to get as much as 5%, 6% or 7% from a spread of more generous dividend stocks. The higher the yield, the less money you need to hit that second income target.
- 5% – £294,260
- 6% – £245,217
- 7% – £210,186
So how long does it take to generate the middle of those three figures – £245,217? Let’s assume someone has a timeline of 30 years. Which may seem lengthy, but that’s how investment wealth is built. Slowly, over time.
If they tuck away £175 a month, and their portfolio grew at an average rate of 8% a year, they’d have £256,926. Ideally they should invest more, as inflation will erode its real value over time. But where to start?
Is this dividend stock worth buying today?
I’ve just added this top income stock to my own portfolio: NatWest Group (LSE NWG). Its forecast to yield a stunning 6.4% this year. The forward yield for 2027 is nearly 7.2%.
The NatWest share price has had a stunning run. It’s up 198% over the last five years, with dividends on top. However, the shares have been volatile lately, as investors fret over both the Iran war and political shenanigans at Westminster.
On 1 May, NatWest reported a healthy 12% increase in first quarter profits and raised its income guidance for 2026. That wasn’t enough to calm investors. Markets are worried about threats such as loan impairments, windfall taxes, rising mortgage rates and the potential for a recession or even stock market crash.
We live in uncertain times, but I think the risks here are more than offset by NatWest’s incredibly low forward price-to-earnings ratio of just 7.9. I think it’s one of the most compelling income and growth opportunities on the FTSE 100 right now. I’ll be watching the stock carefully to see how it weathers current storms, while reinvesting every dividend I receive to build up my stake over time, and generate even more income one day.
