3 Top-Ranked Dividend Stocks: A Smarter Way to Boost Your Retirement Income

Look for stocks that have paid steady, increasing dividends for years (or decades), and have not cut their dividends even during recessions. One approach to recognizing appropriate stocks is to look for companies with an average dividend yield of 3% and positive average annual dividend growth. Numerous stocks hike dividends over time, counterbalancing inflation risks. Here are three dividend-paying stocks retirees should consider for their nest egg portfolio.

Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.62 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.88%. This compares to the Oil and Gas - Exploration and Production - Canadian industry's yield of 0% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.71%. The company's annualized dividend growth in the past year was 53.34%. NextEra Energy Partners (NEP) is paying out a dividend of $0.79 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 4.12% compared to the Alternative Energy - Other industry's yield of 0% and the S&P 500's yield. The annualized dividend growth of the company was 15.09% over the past year. Currently paying a dividend of $0.42 per share, NexPoint Residential Trust Inc. (NXRT) has a dividend yield of 3.42%. This is compared to the REIT and Equity Trust - Residential industry's yield of 3.44% and the S&P 500's current yield. Annualized dividend growth for the company in the past year was 11.36%.

Source: Zack's

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