Why the Best Dividend Stocks Are Your Most Reliable Investment

Financial numbers flow on the digital ticker tape at the TMX Group in Toronto's financial district. The Canadian Press/Darren Calabrese

Dividends rarely get the respect they deserve, especially from beginning investors.

That’s because a dividend-paying stock’s yearly 2–3 percent or 5 percent yield barely seems worth mentioning alongside yearly capital gains of 10, 20, or 30 percent or more.