A second income of £2,392 a year would be enough to cover the average Band D council tax bill in England for 2026/27. Assuming you could build a portfolio with an average 5% yield, that would require an investment of around £47,840.
That’s a concrete, achievable-sounding target for a bill every homeowner dreads. But what are things that you should keep in mind when building a resilient portfolio and steady passive income?
What do the numbers say?
The council tax bill itself isn’t getting any smaller — the England average Band D rate rose to £2,392 for 2026/27 (1 April), up 4.9% on the year before. Here’s what it takes to cover that entirely from dividends:
- Target income: £2,392 per year
- Assumed yield: 5%
- Investment required: £47,840
If we assumed the average FTSE 100 yield of 3.5% instead, the required pot of money would climb to £68,343. That gap of more than £20,000 shows why investors are drawn to higher-yielding stocks. But what’s actually behind that yield and is it too good to be true?
High-yielding banking stock
NatWest (LSE: NWG) is one stock that has a 5% dividend yield at the moment. That’s in line with the maths outlined above, and the bank trades on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 9.4.
That’s substantially cheaper than both Lloyds (14.1) and HSBC (15.4) on the same metric, which makes it one that I would consider further.
Recent results showed net interest income rising sharply as margins widened in the bank’s favour. However, there’s one very big risk that is making me hesitant to buy in right now.
Too big of a risk?
The political risk surrounding the banking sector right now is rather large. It’s worth flagging specifically with the current uncertainty about who will take over as prime minister.
Former Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has emerged as a likely candidate for the post following Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation.
Analysts are working to understand what a change of leadership could mean for markets, including discussion around changes to banking taxes.
We still need to get clarity on what will change if the fiscal rules stay the same.
Michael Metcalfe, Global Macro Strategist, State Street Markets
Political risks aside, impairments have also been climbing, a reminder that bank earnings can move quickly in the wrong direction if the UK economy weakens.
These are just a couple of reasons why I think a genuinely resilient second income relies on portfolio diversification. Things can change quickly for a given sector or stock, particularly one as highly regulated as the banking sector.
My verdict
NatWest has has built a reputation as a steady dividend payer in recent years. While a 5% yield is a solid starting point, I think the political risk is a little high for me to consider buying at the moment.
I’m focusing my attention on several stocks that I think have the potential for both growth and income well into the future.
Should you invest £5,000 in NatWest Group Plc right now?
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And right now, Mark thinks there are 6 standout stocks that investors should consider buying. Want to see if NatWest Group Plc made the list?
Ken Hall does not hold any positions in the companies mentioned.
