Absolutley, dividends are paramuont to investingThanks itsalie, for your input. I think you may have misunderstood what I said regarding dividends. Like yourself, I have been a rabid, ..er avid investor since 1998. One of the criteria I use when picking / buying any equtiy is: do they make money, read profitable; and do they pay a dividend. Having said that, I simply mean do not buy a stock just because it pays a hefty dividend. Always do your research and ascertain what the current payout ratio is.
The average yield on my portfolio is just under 4%. I could jack that up to 6 or even 8 percent, but I am not willing to take on additional risk due to my age and I never want to have to work again!! So there.......I hope this clears up my comment made earlier...
Best............SHUMBA