Dividends

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What this video covers

  • Why dividends are not guaranteed and not a contractual obligation, and how this differs from bond interest
  • The tax treatment of cash dividends as ordinary income versus qualified dividends at favorable long-term capital gains rates
  • The 60-day holding period rule within the 121-day window around the ex-dividend date required for qualified dividend status
  • Why stock dividends are not taxable when received, how total shareholder value stays unchanged, and how cost basis per share adjusts downward
  • The four key dividend dates (declaration, ex-dividend, record, payment) and how T plus 1 settlement aligns the ex-dividend date with the record date
  • Why buying on the ex-dividend date means no dividend, and why you must purchase before the ex-date to receive payment
  • How cumulative preferred arrearages accumulate and must be paid in full before any common dividends, versus non-cumulative preferred where missed dividends are lost

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This video's complete written lesson is free to read in the CertFuel app, no signup wall. The complete Series 65 course also includes adaptive practice questions and spaced-repetition flashcards, free through December 31, 2026.

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