You have seen it by now. As the new year begins, friends and colleagues are sharing stories of their recent holidays and well-deserved breaks from work. Maybe you’re doing the same. Destinations such as Japan and Taiwan are perennial favorites, while some are venturing farther afield—a Santorini getaway, or family time strolling down Las Ramblas in Barcelona. But here’s a thought: What if your holiday expenses were covered entirely by your dividends? Extra money for the holidays Dividends are a discretionary form of payment made by a company to its shareholders from the profits it earns during the year. These dividends act as a source of passive income that serves to boost your active income and can be viewed as a welcome “supplement” to any bonuses that you receive. The beauty of dividends lies in their flexibility. You can either save these dividends for a rainy day, reinvest them in the same shares so that they can...