It seems nowadays that every investing article ends with the same conclusion – you should be buying dividend stocks. They are all quoting studies citing the performance edge that dividends have enjoyed over the long-term and the value of a semi-fixed return generated from periodic dividend payments. However, you should beware of some of the information provided.

One of the many reasons I like dividend stocks is because they provide continuous feedback. As time passes, dividend investors see their income grow steadily. You don’t have to wait five to ten years to determine if the strategy is working. Each dividend and dividend increase provides reassurance that the strategy is working.

A pessimist might say life is a series of bad things happening, then we die. I certainty wouldn’t go that far, but life often deals us unfortunate circumstances to work through at what seems to be the most inopportune time. During this most recent economic downturn, many people lost their jobs at a time when companies weren’t hiring.

The main focus of dividend investing is finding and buying stocks that will continue to raise their dividends in the future. In making this determination there are many factors to consider such as dividend payout ratio, debt levels, the company’s dividend policy and track record.