This is truly one way to appreciate your savings since CD's and even money markets have gone down the tubes.  The problem is that being stocks, there is no guarantee that capital will be preserved over the short term so it not beneficial for funds needed in a ten year time frame.  Using these instruments require some diligence and constant market research.   Winners include Reality Income (O) with an average appreciation of 15% per year.  Losers include US Bank (USB) with a net appreciation of -2.5%.  The 6% dividend sure looked good when I bought it.   One criteria that I have used to evaluate stocks is the executive payout.  Companies have problems with paying high rates of executive compensation and returning equity to the owners (dividends).  The stockholder is not the winner. Case in point is US Bank who cut dividends to ensure compensation.  But the fed made them do it.  Yea, I'm not that dumb but I was caught flatfooted..

funny article, my stock is 20% yield.