Passive income: How much would I need to invest in ASX shares to earn $1,000 every month?

If your ultimate goal is to earn $1,000 per month in passive income, you’ll need to know how much you need to invest upfront.

Generating $1,000 per month equates to $12,000 per year in dividend payments. And while it sounds ambitious, it’s actually more straightforward than you’d think if you have the right portfolio of shares.

Here’s the math 

There is an easy calculation to work it out, but the answer varies significantly depending on the yield of the ASX shares you’re buying.

To calculate the investment you need, you can simply divide the annual income by the dividend yield.

For example, a portfolio which averages a 4% dividend yield will need a $300,000 investment in order to earn $12,000 per year (or $1,000 per month) in passive income. 

A 4% yield is typical of major Aussie banks such as ANZ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX: ANZ), Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS), and some other blue chip companies.

If the yield is higher, at around 5%, you’re looking at a $240,000 investment.

A 5% yield is typical of stronger-yielding blue chip companies, energy shares or even some retail businesses such as Origin Energy Ltd (ASX: ORG) and Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (ASX: HVN).

For an average 6% yield, you’ll need to commit $200,000. 

These will be your high-yield shares or real estate investment trusts (REITS). For example, Dexus (ASX: DXS) or HomeCo Daily Needs REIT (ASX: HDN).

And if you manage to create a portfolio with an average 8% dividend yield you’d only need to invest $150,000 to see the same passive income. 

But you’d need to buy much higher-risk ASX shares or income trusts like the Metrics Master Income Trust (ASX: MXT) or the BetaShares Australian Dividend Harvester ETF (ASX: HVST).

Can’t I just buy shares with the highest yield so I don’t need to invest as much?

You could, but it wouldn’t be the wisest investment idea. It’s true that an 8% yield means you need to invest less to hit your $1,000 per month passive income goal. 

But there is a catch.

Higher yields often mean higher risk. These companies might be unstable or there could be minimal dividend growth. Instead your focus should be on sustainable dividends over a long-term period, not the highest yield available today.

And the ultimate goal is diversification. A balanced and diversified portfolio can give you the best of both worlds. 

The post Passive income: How much would I need to invest in ASX shares to earn $1,000 every month? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Samantha Menzies has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Harvey Norman and Telstra Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended HomeCo Daily Needs REIT. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.