Even in this volatile market, we believe dividend stocks are a far better option than government bonds, which have very little option to keep inflation at bay. Even during the onset of recession, as many as 300 of the 500 companies listed in the S&P 500 raised their dividend payouts.

One important investing criteria when evaluating dividend paying stocks is to invest in those companies that are easy to understand. and have a dividend payout ratio of 50% or less.