This is the second installment in a multi-part series that looks at various options used by income investors to boost their yield while waiting for dividend growth to lift their portfolio’s overall yield-on-cost. Last week we looked at Utilities. This week we are looking at Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).

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.

It is good once again to see companies raising their dividends after last week pause and Kraft’s (KFT) announcement it was freezing its dividend at $0.29/share for the 5th straight quarter. Dividend increases are the fuel that keeps our dividend income machines running.