Dividend Stocks to Save Your Portfolio

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." That George Santayana quote was always a little pessimistic for me. As investors, it certainly behooves us to study the past, figuring out what didn't work and how we can avoid it. But I think we're also well-served by looking at what did work, and figuring out how we can repeat that. I don't need reminders about why dividends are important -- I already know they're a very important component of investment returns. But I don't mind an extra reminder. But there's been trouble in paradise for dividend investors -- particularly those who like the ease of index funds.

Dividends from the S&P 500 have been like a contestant on The Biggest Loser -- they're getting mighty slim. And with dividends playing such a big part in historical returns, this is very bad news for investors. Happily, we don't have to simply take the S&P's yield and whimper, "Thank you, sir! May I have another?" Instead, we can venture beyond the safety of the index to build a portfolio of stocks with yields worth having.

Source: Motley Fool

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