Author: Marc Lichtenfeld, Wealthy Retirement

Stocks that consistently raise their dividends can give an enormous boost to your portfolio.

After being stagnant for a few years, its net investment income (NII) has exploded higher and is forecast to rise again this year.

While I continue to hold dividend stocks for the long term, lately I’ve been putting most of my cash to work in fixed income. In short, I’m excited about the safe income-producing opportunities we have now that weren’t available just a year ago.

Today, in the spirit of “teaching a man to fish,” I’m taking you behind the scenes to show you exactly how I determine the safety of a company’s dividend. As far as I can remember, I’ve never outlined my full Safety Net criteria before, so I’m eager to share the details with you.

“I had to learn these lessons the hard way.”