Author: Brian Bollinger, Simply Safe Dividends

It could be a decent idea for long-term dividend growth investors to consider.

This is arguably the highest quality large bank in America. The company’s highly conservative banking culture means that despite its massive size and complexity, it was able to work through the financial crisis largely unscathed and remained profitable the entire time.

The company generates consistent free cash flow, maintains a conservative balance sheet, operates in a slow-changing industry, sells relatively recession-resistant products, and has grown its dividend for more than 60 consecutive years.

When combined with the company’s valuable real estate portfolio and predictable stream of high-margin rent payments and royalty fees from its franchises, McDonald’s appears to represent a fundamentally lower-risk dividend growth investment.

Tax-deferred retirement accounts like IRAs and 401(k)s serve as an essential part of most people’s long-term savings plans. While these are powerful tools, they also come with some tax complications after investors reach a certain age due to required minimum distributions, or RMDs. Let’s take a closer look at the complications posed by RMDs, as well as the suitability of using dividend stocks to meet these requirements.