Each month, we ask our freelance writers to share their top ideas for shares with dividends with you — here’s what they said for November!

(Just starting your investment journey? Check out our guide on how to start investing in UK.)

Aviva

What it does: Aviva is a diversified insurer with insurance, wealth and pensions offerings.

Of Andrew Mackie: To me, dividend investing shouldn’t be complicated. This means identifying easy-to-understand businesses that generate significant cash flow and prioritize shareholder returns. Aviva (LSE: AV.) ticks all the boxes on this.

It offers a dividend yield of 6.8%. This is expected to increase to 7.3% in 2024 and 7.8% in 2025. Supporting this rising payout is a strong boost to key financial metrics. In the first August results, operating profit increased by 14%, equity generation (OFG) by 10% and cash remittances by 16%.

As the UK’s leading insurer, it is well placed to take advantage of more structural growth opportunities. For example, over the next 10 years the pension savings market is expected to triple to £5bn. Ancillary services such as pensions advice are likely to stop.

Providing insurance services is an inherently risky business, and identifying emerging risks is likely to become increasingly complex. The all-too-obvious effects of climate change are one such evolving risk. If a risk is mispriced, the potential to cause catastrophic losses can never be ruled out.

Andrew Mackie owns shares in Aviva.

Henderson Income from the Far East

What it does: The fund invests in equities in the Asia Pacific region to achieve sustainable income and capital growth.

Of John Smith. The Henderson Income from the Far East (LSE:HFEL) shares have an enviable track record of having a dividend yield of 10.34% as well as a share price that has risen 11% over the past year.

The investment manager (Janus Henderson) picks stocks mainly from the Asia Pacific region. Thanks to the new round of Chinese stimulus last month, the portfolio has done well in the short term. In the direction of stocks with a high dividend yield, it is capable of sustainably paying income. Dividends per share have grown at a trot for several years.

One concern is that dividend coverage over the past few years has been around 1. While this means that dividends are fully covered by recent earnings, it doesn’t provide much breathing room if the firm has a bad year.

Jon Smith does not hold shares in Henderson Far East Income.

Legal & General

What it does: Founded in 1836, Legal & General is one of Europe’s largest insurance and asset management groups.

Of James Beard. Legal & General (LSE: LGEN) has increased its annual dividend for 14 of the last 15 years. The only exception was in 2020, when it remained unchanged due to the pandemic. On the positive side, with a strong balance sheet and £24bn of potential pension fund transfers in hand, the directors have committed to increasing pay by 2% a year until 2027.

But the group is vulnerable to an economic crisis. And they operate in highly competitive markets. I also think it’s worth keeping an eye on assets under management, which have declined in the first six months of 2024.

However, thanks to its impressive dividend growth track record, current yield of 9.3% and forward price-earnings (P/E) ratio (2024) of 11.9 – which is broadly in line with the average over the past 10 years . — remains on my watch list for when I’m next in a position to invest.

James Beard does not own shares in Legal & General.