The best dividend-paying stocks are often familiar names that have been around forever, but don’t get much attention from analysts. And right now is the best time to invest in stocks that pretty much provide investors with a steady stream of income that grows bigger year after year.#-ad_banner-# Such is the case with Western Union (NYSE: WU), the global leader in money-transfer services. Going strong since the 1850s, the company went public in 2006 when it was spun off from First Data. Not many analysts pay attention to this… Read More

The best dividend-paying stocks are often familiar names that have been around forever, but don’t get much attention from analysts. And right now is the best time to invest in stocks that pretty much provide investors with a steady stream of income that grows bigger year after year.#-ad_banner-# Such is the case with Western Union (NYSE: WU), the global leader in money-transfer services. Going strong since the 1850s, the company went public in 2006 when it was spun off from First Data. Not many analysts pay attention to this stock, but dividend investors should find a lot to like about Western Union. It has a leading market share, 10 years of relatively consistent growth, a business model that produces enormous amounts of cash flow and a firm commitment to returning more of its cash to investors. This is what we here at StreetAuthority refer to as a Retirement Savings… Read More

Although it doesn’t make for a very interesting story, providing replacement parts for consumers can be just as profitable as unlocking the creative innovation that launches a new industry. Case in point: Cooper Tire & Rubber (NYSE: CTB). This company makes replacement tires for cars and trucks. It is the… Read More

Although it doesn’t make for a very interesting story, providing replacement parts for consumers can be just as profitable as unlocking the creative innovation that launches a new industry. Case in point: Cooper Tire & Rubber (NYSE: CTB). This company makes replacement tires for cars and trucks. It is the ninth-largest tire maker in the world and markets directly to consumers rather than supplying the parts needed for new cars where profit margins can be smaller. Tariff protection for tires was dropped in 2011, and Cooper… Read More

Although it doesn’t make for a very interesting story, providing replacement parts for consumers can be just as profitable as unlocking the creative innovation that launches a new industry. Case in point: Cooper Tire & Rubber (NYSE: CTB). This company makes replacement tires for cars and trucks. It is the ninth-largest tire maker in the world and markets directly to consumers rather than supplying the parts needed for new cars where profit margins can be smaller. Tariff protection for tires was dropped in 2011, and Cooper fell sharply when traders became concerned that cheap imports from China could hurt the company’s business. Those fears proved to be misplaced and Cooper saw sales and earnings rise as the stock price recovered. Despite strong financial performance, Cooper is trading with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of about 5, less than half the industry average and well below the market average of about 14. Earnings… Read More

Each week, one of our investing experts answers a reader’s question in our the Q&A column at our sister site, InvestingAnswers.com. It’s all part of our mission to help consumers build and protect their wealth through education. This week’s question … Read More

Each week, one of our investing experts answers a reader’s question in our the Q&A column at our sister site, InvestingAnswers.com. It’s all part of our mission to help consumers build and protect their wealth through education. This week’s question will be answered by Investment Analyst David Sterman: Many of us invest for one reason: to build a big enough nest egg for retirement. Good old-fashioned stock picking is the preferred route for many investors but… Read More

Each week, one of our investing experts answers a reader’s question in our the Q&A column at our sister site, InvestingAnswers.com. It’s all part of our mission to help consumers build and protect their wealth through education. This week’s question will be answered by Investment Analyst David Sterman: Many of us invest for one reason: to build a big enough nest egg for retirement. Good old-fashioned stock picking is the preferred route for many investors but can be a bit daunting for the novice investor. This reader’s question addresses another type of investment that can provide you with a solid retirement strategy. Q. “I’m a long way away from it, but I’m starting to think about investing for retirement. I’ve heard of these mutual funds with a year attached to them and you pick the one that’s closest to the year that you expect to retire. How do those work exactly? And are they good?” — Paul, Manhattan, Kan. A. Paul, you’re talking about “target-date” funds, and the short… Read More

This is the most foolproof way I can think of to earn 1,000% returns and yields of more than 50%. It may sound impossible, but this will be a reality for many forward-thinking investors.#-ad_banner-# The numbers will be different for every investor, depending on when they recognized this… Read More

My colleague at StreetAuthority, Paul Tracy, has been finding low-risk and profitable investments for more than a decade. Lately, he has become concerned about the risks of the stock… Read More

Financial stocks have been out of favor for much of the period since the financial crisis. In the United States, the S&P 500 Financials Index rallied just 9% between the end of 2008… Read More

There are lots of reasons why monthly dividend payers (MDPs) are so attractive for yield-starved investors. After all, why should we settle for four quarterly dividend payments every year when we could just as easily get 12?… Read More

If a rich yield is your goal, then few investments can compete with mortgage real estate… Read More