dividend, page-7

The ex-div date is definitely the 24th, so you have to be on the register by the 23rd. Call your broker about the settlement question - as I understand it you are entitled to the dividend as soon as the trade takes place, the t+3 settlement is viewed purely as an administration task and should not affect whether you get the dividend or not. There was a long thread on Investorweb the other day about this, and this was the consensus.

For better exposure to dividends have a look at instalment warrants such as TLSIWL. They are trading at about $1 right now so you can get a 20% yield. Of course they will fall 20c on the ex div date but they don't run out until the end of June, by which time Telstra is required to have named a new CEO. A favourable choice there should give the share price a pop and close that gap a bit.