A $185,000 portfolio sounds like it should do a lot of work. At current safe yields, it does one specific job well: it covers the three recurring bills that appear in every household budget each month ...

Covering a $3,000 annual gas bill requires $85,700 at 3.5% yield, $60,000 at 5%, or $30,000 at a risky 10% flat yield. A 3.5%-yield portfolio growing at 7% annually pays $5,900 by year 10 and $11,600 ...

A $185,000 portfolio yielding 6.4% covers essential expenses at $990 monthly, but Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) requires $324,000 at conservative 3.7% yields. Realty Income (O) and Verizon ...

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