Bond yields remain low - the 10-year Treasury note returns 2.19% - which has made high-yield investments even more attractive than usual right now.
The 10-year Treasury yield is down about 18% in the past six months, for several reasons. Both the ruble crisis in Russia and falling global oil prices have been major contributors. Those factors have also increased volatility in the emerging bond market.
That's why there are better high-yield investments to add income to your portfolio today.
Master limited partnerships (MLPs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs) are two great places to start. They offer high yields and frequently dodge the losses some dividend stocks see during market corrections. Both also give investors the option to delay their personal income tax liability for years at a time.
And both industries are booming.
Alerian Index figures show the combined market cap of MLPs has skyrocketed from $25 billion to $350 billion in the past decade. And according to the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, the combined market cap for REITs has more than doubled.
To add these high-yield investments to your portfolio now, here are three picks to consider...
High-Yield Investments for 2015 No. 1: Omega Healthcare Investors Inc. (NYSE: OHI)
The Hunt Valley, Md.-based healthcare REIT offers a huge profit potential for investors in 2015.
Omega leases long-term contracts to operators of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and assisted living facilities (ALFs).
As of Q1 2014, OHI owns 547 facilities located in 37 states. These are all operated by 49 third-party healthcare-operating businesses. This allowed the company to allocate $121 million for new investments and capital-improvement projects.
"Omega's strategy is a good one - and is important to look at, albeit quickly, since it illustrates why it's such a good dividend play," Money Morning's Executive Editor Bill Patalon said.
It also targets a burgeoning demographic. The number of Americans aged 85 and older is 2% of the U.S. population as of 2013. This group is expected to comprise 5% of the U.S. population in 2050. At that point, OHI's customer base will reach 21 million.
OHI is also quickly monopolizing the healthcare-focused real estate industry...
The company recently announced a major purchase of Aviv REIT Inc. (NYSE: AVIV) in a $3 billion deal. That makes OHI the largest owner of skilled nursing facilities in the country by a wide margin. The deal is expected to close in Q1 2015.
OHI has climbed more than 52% in the past two years. It boasts a 5.2% yield and regular dividend increases over the past 10 years.
And that's just the first high-yield investment to watch in 2015. Here are two more...
High-Yield Investments for 2015 No. 2: Enbridge Energy Partners LP (NYSE: EEP)
While many energy stocks have slumped in 2014 - Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) is down 9% this year - Enbridge's shares have climbed 36.7% year to date. That's because MLPs offer great profit opportunities even when energy prices are low.
You see, many energy MLPs are midstream companies. Midstream companies own fuel storage facilities, including utilities, pipeline operators, and underground storage. They collect fees like a tollbooth collector at a bridge as long as the oil and gas flows. So these companies remain profitable even when oil prices fall.
Enbridge owns and operates 6,500 miles of crude oil transportation lines. Many of these pipelines bring Canadian crude down to east and north Texas.
EEP also accounts for approximately 17% of total U.S. oil imports. It owns the Seaway Pipeline, which moves more than 850,000 barrels per day and links Oklahoma and Texas. Those states are the two most important for the U.S. petroleum market.
Enbridge has steadily raised its dividend since 1992. It currently pays a 5.42% yield.
High-Yield Investments for 2015 No. 3: American Tower Corp. (NYSE: AMT)
American Tower made our list because it offers investors an unbeatable combination: huge growth and a steady annual dividend yield. You see, this REIT will receive a major boost from the mobile phone revolution...
The Internet analytics company comScore reported a 47% increase in mobile commerce sales from 2013. Mobile commerce sales are set to hit $35 billion by the end of 2014. IDG estimated 2.14 billion mobile device shipments in 2018.
All of that wireless power requires more towers. That's where American Tower comes in.
"This is a company poised to profit from broad changes in the wireless world," noted Money Morning's Defense & Tech Specialist Michael A. Robinson. "The move to higher bandwidth for web-surfing smartphones is driving competition among service providers, meaning they all need more towers."
AMT owns 70,000 wireless and broadcast towers. More than half of those are located outside the United States. This gives investors solid, but conservative, exposure to international markets.
And if you have a mobile service plan, you have probably benefited from AMT. Its domestic tenants include all of the "Big Four" service providers: AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S), and T-Mobile US Inc. (NYSE: TMUS).
AMT has a $40 billion market cap and trades near $100 a share. It has a payout ratio of 72% and a 1.5% yield. Its shares have gained 24% so far this year.
More Profit Opportunities for 2015: On Oct. 13, 2013, Michael Robinson predicted shares of Apple stock would surge to $1,000. Just over a year later, readers who bought AAPL stock on his recommendation have gained 48%. And it's not over. Those who follow Michael's lead this time could see gains of 27%. Here's what will propel AAPL stock to a presplit price of $1,000 per share - and when it will get there...