Suze Orman Says You Don’t Have to Buy Every Market Dip. Here’s Why

Suze Orman told investors they can skip the reflex to act every time stocks dip. She said it on the October 25 episode of her Women & Money podcast, titled “When Is a Decision Right For You?”: “You don’t have to think, oh, the markets went down, I have to dollar-cost average, now is the time. No, you don’t always have to do something.”

She linked that patience to uncertainty: “The market doesn’t like inconsistency. It doesn’t like not knowing what’s going to happen.” Suze Orman also told listeners that “Markets are not made in 20 days. Markets are made over 10 and 20 years.” Suze Orman’s standing rule is that money in stocks should be money you won’t need for at least five or ten years.

Why Doing Nothing Gets Easier When Your Portfolio Pays You

The link to dividends is our own analysis. Retirees find it hardest to sit still when bills come due in the middle of a sell-off. If you fund your spending by selling shares, a downturn forces you to sell at lower prices. Dividend income can cover some of that spending, so the shares can stay put. Advisor Wes Moss explained the idea on The Clark Howard Podcast: “If your portfolio is producing dividends and interest, it may very well be able to cover your income gap every single year so that you don’t mess with the principal.”

Orman made a related point in a 2023 episode, saying that when markets go down, dividend stocks “truly come into play because at least you are being paid to wait.”

Six Payers With Long Records of Raising Their Dividends

Realty Income (NYSE:O) has declared 673 consecutive monthly dividends. Its Q2 2026 payout was its 115th consecutive quarterly dividend increase. Occupancy stood at 98.8%, and the company raised its AFFO guidance to $4.44-$4.45 per share.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG | PG Price Prediction) reported core EPS of $2.00, beating the $1.89 consensus, and plans to pay more than $10 billion in dividends in fiscal 2027. Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) raised its 2026 free cash flow outlook to at least $13.0 billion. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) raised its adjusted EPS guidance to $11.60-$11.75. That outlook points to its first $100B+ revenue year.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) expects to pay $7.9B in dividends in 2026. Even so, core operating profit at its North American food unit fell 12% as input costs rose. ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) declared a $1.07 quarterly dividend, extending its run to 44 consecutive years of annual increases. Chief executive Darren Woods said: “Our strategy with respect to shareholder distributions is to try to maintain a reliable and growing dividend and have a consistent level of buybacks.”

Where an Income Strategy Hits Its Limits

Dividend stocks still fall, and companies can cut their payouts. PepsiCo shares are down 1.4% year-to-date and 3.15% over the past year. They are also 0.1% below where they traded five years ago, even though the quarterly dividend rose from $1.15 in 2022 to $1.48 in 2026. Realty Income shares gained just 7.11% over five years. ExxonMobil held its quarterly payout at $0.87 from 2019 through 2021 because its cash flow depends on oil prices.

Suze Orman’s rule fills that gap. Orman says money you need within five or ten years goes outside stocks. Dividends then add to that cash, so you have to sell shares less often.

Payment Dates Income Investors Should Watch

The next checks come from Realty Income on November 13, P&G on November 16, Johnson & Johnson on December 8, ExxonMobil on December 10, and Coca-Cola on December 15. Coca-Cola will give full 2027 guidance with its fourth-quarter results. PepsiCo’s planned cost cuts will show whether profits at its North American food unit can recover.

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