The Federal Reserve’s slowing approach to rate hikes is a big positive for firms that practice financial wizardry. Fed Chair Janet Yellen told The Economic Club of New York earlier this week that she considered it “appropriate for the Committee to proceed cautiously in adjusting policy.”

Translation – they’re going to keep moving slowly. Inflation isn’t yet in the picture, and until it is, the Fed can keep rates low for longer than most think. And that’s bullish for business development companies, or BDCs.

BDCs invest mostly in privately-held small to middle market companies ($10 million to $1 billion in revenues).… Read more

Legendary investor Peter Lynch was fond of saying that corporate insiders may sell their company’s shares for a variety of reasons. But there’s only one reason they buy – and that’s because they think the price is going up.

Anyone at the director-level or above in Corporate America is considered an “insider” – and it’s perfectly legal for them to buy their own company’s stock. That’s a good sign in general, and especially for the stocks that we’re interested in. It means the executive buyer is bullish on dividend growth, and as we’ve discussed before, payout growth is what ultimately sends stock prices higher.… Read more

A few months back, I ranked my five favorite dividend ETFs – and shared my top pick to buy and hold forever. Since then, three new ETFs have launched that address the main problem I had with the strategies I reviewed the first time around.

The result? A 585% return over a 15-year period!

I’ll share the specifics and tickers – and my discussion with their portfolio manager – in a minute. But first, let me give you some background on dividend ETFs so you’ll appreciate why these new strategies are superior.

Sadly, Most Dividend ETFs are Dogs

Dividend-focused strategies should outperform the market over the long haul.… Read more

Billionaire investor George Soros said it best: “Good investing is boring.”

Two great examples: dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs)—an automatic way of building wealth that most investors ignore—and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats.

Let’s take the second one first. Many of the 50 companies on the Dividend Aristocrats list peddle everyday staples like tape, telephone service and over-the-counter drugs—products that are about as humdrum as you’ll find.

These are household names like Colgate-Palmolive (CL), Kimberley-Clark (KMB), and Clorox (CLX). (I’ll give you the names of my three favorite Dividend Aristocrats in a minute.)

But these companies have a big edge over the flashy wearable tech and biotech stocks investors usually go gaga for: they pay steady dividends.… Read more

Looking for high, safe income? If you’re like many investors, you probably look to electric utilities first.

But I think telecom stocks are a better bet right now. I’ll give you my top three in a minute. First, let me explain why.

The allure of utilities is obvious: you have to buy power whether the economy is soaring or tanking. Utilities also give you “China insurance,” because they’re almost entirely focused on the US.

But here’s the problem: after last year’s panic over rising interest rates sent utilities plunging, they’re back in vogue. Since January 1, the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) has jumped 11.2%, while the S&P 500 is down 1.1%.… Read more

Dividend stocks are a great way to build long-term wealth. But how do you pick the right ones—and steer clear of companies whose payouts are headed off a cliff?

You can start by avoiding the five classic blunders below. If you’ve made any of them, don’t worry. We all have. But keeping them in mind will help you stay off the rocks and boost your future returns.

1. Focusing on High Yields—and Nothing Else

For many investors, buying dividend stocks is a simple matter of seeking out a high yield—above 6%, say—and hitting the buy button.

That’s the worst thing you can do, because many stocks paying out at those levels are nothing more than “yield traps”: their profits and cash flow simply can’t back up their hefty payouts.… Read more