All About Dividends - Dozens of Articles From buyupside.com

A dividend is a cash payment usually made each quarter to shareholders. A company that has free cash after meeting its financial obligations can elect to give some of that cash to its shareholders in the form of dividends. High-yield sectors that pay a high proportion of their earnings as dividends include electric utilities and Real Estate Investments Trusts (REITs). Also, many large blue-chip companies pay dividends.

Historically companies that pay regular increasing dividends have been great long-term investments. Dividend yield (dividend divided by price ) can top 20 percent after many years when you buy-and-hold a dividend-paying stock that regularly increases its dividend.

You may elect to receive your dividends in cash or you can reinvest the dividends and buy additional shares of stock. Dividend reinvestment is an easy way to increase the number of shares you own and is a profitable investing technique for the long-term investor.

You can capture dividends by owning a portfolio of dividend-paying stocks and mutual funds that concentrate on dividend-paying stocks. Such stocks give you income and may give you growth in the form increased share prices with time.

Two mutual funds with above average dividend yields and low expenses are the Dow Jones Select Dividend Index Fund (DVY) and the Vanguard Equity Income Fund (VEIPX). Both funds hold stocks that pay safe dividends.

For a list of over 300 companies that have increased their dividends for at least 10 consecutive years read the Mergent's Dividend Achievers. The DividendAristocrats have increased dividends for 25 consecutive years.

Most Popular Articles

Here are the ten most popular articles about dividends and dividend reinvesting:

Canadian Royalty Trusts Pay High Dividends
Dividend Aristocrats Pay Increasing Dividends
Dividend-Paying Stocks
Dividend Reinvestment Portfolio
Electric Utilities Pay Steady Dividends
Introduction to Dividend Reinvestment
Mergent's Dividend Achievers Pay Increasing Dividends
Natural Gas Stocks Pays High Dividends
PowerShares Offers Four Dividend Achievers ETFs
Why Dividends Matter

All Articles (0-9, A through Z)

The following alphabetized list includes links to all buyupside.com articles about dividends and dividend reinvesting.

20 All-Weather Dividend-Paying Stocks for a Long-term Portfolio

Accumulate Shares With Dividend Reinvestment
Abbott Has a Long Record of Paying Increasing Dividends
Acadian Timber Income Fund Pays a Steady Monthly Distribution
Add High-Yield DJIA Stocks to Your Dividend Reinvestment Portfolio
Aflac, a Dividend Aristocrat, Delivers Great Long-term Returns
Aflac Rewards Shareholders With Price Appreciation and Rising Dividends
Alpine Dynamic Dividend Fund Offers a Very High Dividend Yield
Alpine Dynamic Dividend Maintains High Dividend Yield
Alpine Global Dynamic Dividend Fund Seeks High Dividend Yield
AmSouth Bank is a Dividend Play
AT&T Pays a Rich Dividend
Avoid Closed-End Income Funds That Cut Dividends
Avoid Downside Stocks with Large Dividend Yields
Australian Listed Properties Trusts Offer Diversified Real Estate Portfolios
Australian Stocks Offer High Dividend Yields

Banks Increase Dividends Despite Falling Stock Prices
Barclays Is Down But Not Out
Big Five United Kingdom Banks Pay Rich Dividends
BlackRock Diversified Income Strategies Fund Pays Steady Income
BlackRock Offers Four Dividend Achievers Funds
Buy Union Pacific on Price Dips
buyupside.com Guide to High-Yield Investments

Cadbury Schweppes Rivals Coca-Cola and Pepsico
Canadian Stocks Offer High Dividend Yields
Canadian Royalty Trusts Pay High Dividends - Popular
Cement Maker Lafarge Is On a Long-term Upside
Closed-End Dividend Stock Funds Offer Good Income At a Discount
Chemical Stocks Portfolio Pay Hefty Dividends
CNOOC Gives Investors Good Growth and Dividend Yield
Coca-Cola Is a Solid Dividend-Paying Stock
Coca-Cola Is a Winner
Colgate-Palmolive Is One Great Stock
Colgate-Palmolive Rewards Patient Investors
Consider General Electric for a Dividend-Reinvestment Portfolio
Consumer Staples Stocks Pay Steady Dividends
C.R. Bard, a Dividend Aristocrat, Is a Great Long-term Investment
Cullen/Frost Bankers Is a Solid Dividend Reinvestment Stock

Direct Stock Purchase Plans are Convenient But Watch the Fees
Dividend Aristocrats - A Few Truly Great Stocks - Popular
Dividend Aristocrats Pay Increasing Dividends - Popular
Dividend Aristocrats - Top 10 by Dividend Yield
Dividend Oriented Exchange-Traded Funds Offer Good Yields
Dividend-Paying Gas Utilities Can Enhance Your Portfolio
Dividend-Paying Stocks - Popular
Dividend Reinvestment: Do It - Popular
Dividend Reinvestment Portfolio - Popular
Dividend Yields of Bank Stocks Are Up
Dividend Yields of Bank Stocks Move Up With Falling Stock Prices
Dividends Magnify Your Total Return - Popular
Dividends Will Reward the Patient Investor
DNP Select Income Fund Pays Steady High Dividends
Domestic Dividend-Paying ETFs Pay Steady Dividends
Do Not Be Tempted by Extra High Dividend Yields
Dow Jones Select Dividend Index Fund
Dow Jones Utility Average is a Conservative Play for Income and Growth
Duke Energy Pays Its Dividend

Earn Dividends From World-Wide ETF
Eight Electric and Natural Gas Utilities With High Dividend Yields
Electric Utilities Pay Steady Dividends - Popular
Emerson Electric Is a Winning Stock
Enbridge Energy LP Pays a Rich Dividend
Energy East is on the Upside
European Stocks Offer High Dividend Yields
Ex-Dividend.com Gives You the Latest Dividend News

Falling Prices Push Up Dividend Yields
Falling Stock Prices Benefit Long-term Dividend Reinvestment Portfolios
Financial Exchange-Traded Funds Pay Good Yielding Income Distributions
Find Dividend Yields for Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 Stocks at indexARb
First Horizon National Pays a Healthy Dividend
Five Bank Stocks Worth Watching
Five Great Dividend Reinvestment Stocks
Five High-Yield Stocks
Five Large Bank Stocks With Dividend Yields Over Six Percent
Five Large Canadian Banks Pay Steady Dividends
Five Large Pharmaceuticals Stocks With High Dividend Yields
Five Reliable Dividend-Paying Stocks for a Shaky Market
Food and Beverage Stocks
French Stocks Offer High Dividend Yields

Gabelli Utility Trust is a Solid Income Investment
General Electric Keeps Increasing Dividends
General Electric Pays a Healthy Dividend
General Mills Pays a Solid Dividend
German Stocks Offer High Dividend Yields
Global Bank Stocks With High-Yield Dividends
Global Dividend-Paying ETFs Pay Steady Dividends
Global Stocks Offer High Dividend Yields

High Dividend Yields May Signal Trouble Ahead
High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Offer Hefty Total Returns
High-Yield Exchange-Traded Funds Are Attractive Additions to an Income Portfolio
High-Yield (Over Five Percent) Electric Utility Stocks
High-Yield Growth Stocks For Your Long-term Portfolio
High-Yield Sectors

IBM Increases Its Dividend by 33 Percent
Illinois Tool Works Keeps Increasing Its Dividend
Important Dates for Dividends
ING Groep Pays Increasing Dividends
Introduction to Dividend Reinvestment - Popular
iShares S&P Value Index Fund Includes Dividend-Paying Stocks
Italian Stocks Offer High Dividend Yields

Japanese Stocks Offer High Dividend Yields
Johnson & Johnson Is a Great Long-term Holding

Kellogg's Is a Solid Dividend Reinvestment Stock

Large Utility Exelon Qualifies As a Great Dividend-Reinvestment Stock
Living off Dividends - Popular
Look Here For Rising Dividends - Popular
Look for Special Dividends
Looking for Income? What's Best - Stocks or Bonds?
Looking For the Next Wrigley
Low-Fee Stock Purchase Plans and DRIPs Add to Your Profits

McDonald's Increases Its Dividend to $1
Merck Is a Candidate For a Dividend Reinvestment Portfolio
Mergent's Dividend Achievers Pay Increasing Dividends - Popular
Mergent's Dividend Achievers: Five High-Yield Utility Stocks
Money Center Banks Stocks Pay Good Dividends
Multifamily REITs Offer High Dividend Yields

National City Pays an Increasing Dividend
Natural Gas and Oil Producer EnCana Doubles Dividend
Natural Gas Limited Partnerships Pay High Dividends - Popular
Natural Gas Stocks Pays High Dividends - Popular
NSTAR Pays a Healthy Dividend
Nuveen Growth and Income Funds Offer Very High Yields
Nuveen Offers a Variety of Closed-End Income Funds

Option Income Funds - Big Returns but Big Risks
Over 200 Investments That Pay Dividends Monthly
Payback Period - Buy Stocks with Increasing Dividends
Penn West Energy Trust Becomes a Giant and Pays A Rich Cash Distribution
Pfizer's Dividend Yield Is Appealing
Pfizer Is a Great Dividend-Reinvestment Stock
Pfizer Pays Strong Dividends While On the Downside
Portfolio of 15 Irish Stocks
Portfolio of 30 Global High-Yield Dividend-Paying Stocks
Portfolio of 30 South African Stocks Offers Dividends
Portfolio of Dividend Achievers ETFs Offers Growth and Income - Popular
Portfolio of Integrated Oil and Gas Stocks
Portfolio of Paper and Paper Products Stocks
Portfolio of Regional Mall and Shopping Center REITs
PowerShares Offers Four Dividend Achievers ETFs - Popular
Preferred Stocks Deliver High Yields
Princeton National Bancorp Is a Jewel Amid Regional Bank Wreckage
Proctor & Gamble Is Likely to Remain On Its Long-Term Upside

QuantumOnline.com Is a Find for Income Investors

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Stocks Pay High Dividends
Regions Financial Is Down But Increased Its Dividend
Regional Banks Portfolio Pays Reliable Dividends

Savings and Loans Banks Astoria Financial and Washington Federal Are Good Bets
Six Large High-Yield Closed-End Funds
Small Dividend Increases Add Up
Southern Company Is a Great Dividend-Paying Stock
Special Dividends Pack a Punch
SPDR Dividend ETF Includes High-Yield Stocks
S&P 500 Utilities Pay Hefty Dividends - Popular
Starter Portfolio
Stora Enso and UPM-Kymmene Are Cyclical Dividend-Paying Stocks
streetTRACKS KBW Regional Bank ETF Pays a Stout Dividend
Swedish Stocks Offer High Dividend Yields
Swiss Stocks Offer High Dividend Yields

Terra Nitrogen Pays Uneven Dividends
Ten Countries Offer Stocks With High Dividend Yields
The Moneypaper Lets You Buy Dividend-Paying Stocks
These Dividend Yields Will Amaze You - Popular
Top 10 High Yield Dividend Aristocrats by Yield
Top 20 Dividend Aristocrats by Dividend Yield
TransCanada Is an Upside Stock With Steady Dividends
Two ETFs That are Good Choices for a Dividend Reinvestment Portfolio

United Kingdom Stocks Offer High Dividend Yields
U.S. Bancorp Is a Great Dividend Play
Utility Stocks Pay Reliable Dividends

Valero LP Pays a Rich Dividend
Vanguard Equity-Income Likes Dividends

Washington Mutual Keeps Increasing Its Dividend
Water Utilities are Growth Stocks that Pay Good Dividends
What Is a Dividend?
Which Is Best - Dividend Yield or Dividend Growth?
Whirlpool Is a Cyclical Dividend Play
Whirlpool Is on the Downside But Has Support
Williams Companies Revives Its Dividend
WisdomTree Offers Twenty ETFs for Dividend Investors
Wrigley Boosts Dividend 16 Percent
Wrigley Is a Great Dividend-Paying Stock
Why Dividends Matter - Popular

Yahoo Finance Has a Comprehensive List of Dividend Yields for Stocks

More Information

Also you can read the buyupside.com Dividend Book, a compilation of articles from buyupside.com about dividends and dividend reinvestment. For a shorter version see the buyupside.com miniDividend Book.

Read about high-yield investments in the buyupside.com Guide to High-Yield Investments.

Updated May 15, 2008.