Right now corporate America has a huge problem on its hands.

I’m not talking about another banking crisis, real estate crash, or hedge fund manager running a Ponzi scheme…

And I’m not talking about any sort of ominous regulations being handed down by the U.S. government, either.

I’m not even talking about the growing levels of debt being accumulated by Uncle Sam each and every day — not to mention the lack of progress from our leaders in Washington in finding a solution to fix it.

Actually, the “problem” I’m about to tell you about is really a once-in-a-lifetime investing opportunity.

The problem?

#-ad_banner-#Corporate America has spent the last few years hoarding money like it was going out of style, effectively creating what I call a “Dividend Vault.”

Why? 

Companies have seen the same problems you and I have over the years — a mounting debt crisis, gridlock in Washington, a dot-com bubble burst from the early 2000s, a devastating real estate bubble burst a few years later, two recessions… 

They continued to face these challenges year after year. But instead of sitting still with future uncertainties, they took action. That’s why for the past 12 years, they’ve been adding billions to the “Dividend Vault” at a rapid pace.

And now this “Dividend Vault” is so large, many companies simply can’t decide what to do with all that cash.

The only solution: start paying that money out to shareholders as dividends.

A select few companies are already seeing the writing on the wall. They’re tapping into the “Dividend Vault” and using it to increase their dividend payouts, rewarding smart shareholders who knew about the “Dividend Vault” early on.

These investors appreciated the fact that these companies were saving for a rainy day. And now, they’re being rewarded…

Of course, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and other elite investors caught onto this idea years ago. They’ve been collecting “Dividend Vault” checks for the past several years. 

But now even normal investors are taking advantage of this opportunity.

For example, one of our readers, Neva M. from Oregon recently said she is “earning $22,000 per year in dividends” thanks to the “Dividend Vault.” That’s an average of $1,833 a month in dividends.

Another reader, Kirk C. from Indiana, bought 310 shares of the “Dividend Vault” four years ago and has made “about $6,000 of unrealized gains plus about $2,400 in dividends.”

So how big is this “Dividend Vault”?

According to information on an obscure form labeled “Z.1” buried deep inside the Federal Reserve’s website, U.S. companies now have a combined cash stockpile worth $1.9 trillion.

That’s more money than the GDP of 183 countries.

It’s also enough money to give every retiree in the U.S. a check for $112,264.

Of course, these companies aren’t going to pay that out all at once. But we’re already seeing many companies begin to open their “Dividend Vaults” in a big way.

One company we’ve been keeping an eye on just paid $2.7 billion on November 14, while another dished out $909 million to shareholders last December.

And based on our analysis, we can predict with a great degree of certainty that the “Dividend Vault” will likely make the following cash payments in 2014, totaling $39.5 billion for shareholders…

The good news is, any investor can get their share of this $39.5 billion corporate “giveaway.”

Of course, as a partial owner of the “Dividend Vault,” no investor can expect to get a check for a billion dollars each month. But because the “Dividend Vault” is so big and the monthly payments are so large, the beauty is that even a TINY stake in the vault could help you reap a windfall of income in the coming months and years. 

And as with any investment, the more you invest, the greater your checks could be. 

For example, investors who own just a 0.0000001 stake — that’s literally one ten-millionth — of the “Dividend Vault” could receive checks totaling $3,950 this year. Investors with just two ten-millionths of a percent interest in the “Dividend Vault” could receive nearly $8,000 this year.

So what’s the best way for investors to maximize the size of their “Dividend Vault” checks in 2014? 

After months of research, my Top 10 Stocks team and I have identified 13 “Dividend Vault” companies that are best positioned to pay out massive amounts of dividend raises and possibly see large capital gains for five, 10, even 20 years down the road. 

For years these companies were simply stuffing more money in their vaults. Now they’ve opened them up and are paying out enormous sums to shareholders.

One of these “Dividend Vault” companies could pay a 45% dividend yield right now if it wanted to.

With its wide economic moat (a 67% market share to be exact), this “Dividend Vault” stock has accumulated $48 billion in cash… or enough to pay a special dividend that would make for a 40% yield for investors who bought the stock today.

Another “Dividend Vault” stock is one I call “the most shareholder friendly company on earth.” (You won’t believe which company it is.) In just six years, the company has raised its dividend 104% and bought back 438 million shares of stock. Its shares have also returned roughly 100% since 2008, beating the market by more than double.

So what’s the takeaway? Simply put, there’s practically never been a better time to be a dividend investor than right now. My advice: find high-quality companies with large cash hoards that make up a large chunk of the “Dividend Vault” — and own them for the long-run.

In my latest research video, I explain why these companies are not only likely to pay out hefty dividends for years to come, but also have the potential to deliver big share price gains. While there are no guarantees with investing, I strongly believe investing in the “Dividend Vault” is going to be the best way to beat the market for years to come.

P.S. — The next “Dividend Vault” payments will be mailed out in the coming weeks. In fact, Bill Gates will receive $107 million from the “Dividend Vault” on March 13. And by investing in the “Dividend Vault” by March 14, 2014, you could also begin collecting a steady stream of income that gets bigger every year. To get your share of the next payment before the “ex-dividend” deadline, all you have to do is get your name on the “Dividend Vault” payout list. You can learn how to access this list here.