A Dicey Year for Dividends (and 4 Stocks for Solid Payouts)

Whether you're a retiree or a brand-new, long-term investor in the stock market, dividends matter. From the beginning of 1930 through 2019, the compound growth of reinvested dividends accounted for 42% of the total return of Standard & Poor's 500-stock index, according to Hartford Funds. For those investors who do live on the income generated from their portfolios, a major shake-up among corporate payouts, which tend to increase steadily during the market's more placid times, means a major loss of income at a time when it's hard to come by elsewhere. At last check, 10-year Treasuries yielded 0.64%.

When the COVID-19 shutdown brought revenues in some industries to an abrupt halt, many firms had little choice but to retain money they otherwise would have paid out.