Building a retirement portfolio in 2025 presents a new challenge for Canadian investors. The days of earning easy returns from Guaranteed Investment Certificates and savings accounts are fading as interest rates decline, yet the cost of living continues to climb. Individuals seeking to replace their working wages with a reliable cash flow may find the “Big Six” banks falling short with their low single-digit dividend yields. However, there is a high-yield passive-income stock to buy that offers a solution specifically designed for income-focused portfolios. Timbercreek Financial (TSX:TF) is currently paying a massive 10.4% annualized yield, distributed in monthly checks that can help turn your retirement savings into a pension-like monthly income stream.
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Timbercreek stock: A business model built for passive income
Timbercreek Financial is a non-bank lender that has paid uninterrupted monthly dividends for 18 years. The company manages a $1 billion portfolio of structured mortgage loans, but with a twist that favours monthly income stability.
Instead of locking money away for five years (as banks do), Timbercreek specializes in short-term “bridge” lending. It lends to professional real estate investors who need quick, flexible capital to renovate or acquire properties. Short-term mortgages mean the company’s capital is constantly being repaid and redeployed.
This rapid turnover allows Timbercreek to adjust its lending rates to current market conditions much faster than a traditional bank, protecting its capital, steadying its cash flows, and supporting its hefty $0.0575-per-share monthly dividend.
Invest in essential assets to protect your capital
If you intend to rely on a dividend portfolio to fund your retirement, the underlying assets matter just as much as the yield. Timbercreek provides peace of mind by avoiding the volatile office tower market that has burned many other commercial lenders. Instead, the company focuses its portfolio on multi-family residential real estate.
Apartment buildings are an essential asset class as people will always need a place to live, regardless of what the economy is doing. Timbercreek’s focus provides a defensive safety net for its monthly dividend.
Timbercreek protects its income against falling interest rates by writing “floors” into its loan contracts. As of the third quarter of 2025, nearly 86% of its portfolio consisted of floating-rate loans with these protective floors, ensuring that your monthly income remains steady even if the Bank of Canada cuts rates further.
A valuation opportunity for retirees
Buying income stocks when they are on sale is a proven strategy for accelerating retirement goals. Right now, Timbercreek stock is trading at a rare discount. The shares are currently priced at just 0.6 times their tangible book value. In simple terms, you are buying a portfolio of high-quality mortgages for roughly 60 cents on the dollar.
The monthly dividend stock appears incredibly cheap relative to industry peers. With a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 9.7, it trades at a fraction of the broader industry average P/E of 28.
This valuation disconnect offers a margin of safety. You are paying a discounted price for tangible, cash-flowing assets.
Addressing the high-yield dividend stock’s risk
High-yield passive income always comes with risk, and it is vital to address the company’s recent payout ratio.
During the third quarter of 2025, Timbercreek’s distributable income payout ratio hit 101.4%, meaning it paid out slightly more in dividends than it earned in that specific period. This was primarily due to one-time write-downs on two legacy loans. However, management has reassured investors that the payout ratio for the full year remains within its sustainable target range of roughly 97%.
How to invest for monthly passive income
The most compelling reason to buy Timbercreek Financial stock in a retirement portfolio is its juicy monthly cash payouts. To illustrate what this high-yield passive-income stock could do for your budget, consider the income potential of a $10,000 investment at recent prices.
| Dividend Stock to Buy | Recent Price | Investment | Number of Shares | Monthly Dividend | Total Monthly Income | Total Annual Dividend |
| Timbercreek Financial (TSX: TF) | $6.61 | $10,000 | 1,512 | $0.0575 | $86.94 | $1,043.28 |
A $10,000 investment in TF stock could generate over $1,000 in annual passive income. For investors still far from retirement, utilizing the company’s dividend-reinvestment program to reinvest monthly paychecks could compound wealth over the next decade.
