A stock with a high yield doesn’t mean much if the dividend is cut or eliminated, and the stock price declines significantly. Sometimes it is desirable to accept higher risk for a higher yield. Other times we may be accepting higher risk and are not being adequately compensated for the additional risk. What can we do to help gauge the risk of an individual stock?

We have all heard it… Stodgy, for old people, yawn, boring! These have all been used to describe dividend growth investing. As a dividend growth investor, I sometimes think our strategy is the most misunderstood. Periodically, it is good to remind ourselves why we are dividend growth investors.

You expect your employer to give you a salary increase periodically. Why wouldn’t you expect the same from your investments? One of the most important aspects of a dividend stock is its ability to consistency raise dividends over time.

I am a firm believer that asset allocation plays a significant part in a portfolio’s long-term results. Recently, I received a question asking if you could have a diversified portfolio of dividend stocks. It is an interesting question that deserves further examination.

To ensure a retirement that is free from financial concerns, there are certain things that must be done today. For many people this is not a desirable task. However, building a secure future by investing in quality dividend stocks is neither complicated nor overly burdensome.

In everything we do, we always want to be the best or be associated with the best. You never hear fans yelling, ‘We’re number 2, we’re number 2′, while holding two fingers in the air.  The same is true when selecting dividend stocks.

Genuine Parts Co is a leading wholesale distributor of automotive replacement parts, industrial parts and supplies, and office products. Linked here is a detailed analysis and commentary.

What makes investing in dividend stocks so intriguing is the power of compound dividends. Compound interest is what occurs when interest earned is added to the principle and is considered when calculating future interest–i.e. earning interest on interest. Compound dividends are like compound interest, but much better.

After another week of the market rallying, the number of stocks identified by my model as a buy fell to 4 stocks from 7. So what do you do if you are over-allocated in the four stocks that are a buy?

How about a list of some great dividend stocks that have long history of increasing their dividends, some for decades? These have a powerful balance sheet, with a track record of generating consistent cash flows and are well-managed, but...