The Little-Known Asset Class Boosted Its Yields By +151%
These special securities were designed for one sole purpose -- to provide investors with a steady stream of rising income. We're not talking about some fantasy investment idea. We're talking about a little known and often misunderstood group of securities called "General Partners" -- or "GPs" for short.

Beat the Taxman with Yields of 28.8%
During his campaign, President-Elect Barack Obama vowed to "reverse Bush tax cuts for the wealthy." In other words, the tax cuts passed in 2001-2003 under George W. Bush would be rolled back or allowed to expire on December 31, 2010. The bad news is that the income tax rates for some taxpayers will likely increase. The good news is that dividend and capital tax rates likely will not revert back to previous levels. But because of these changes, it's more important than ever for income investors to try to plan accordingly.

High Yields from the World's Soundest Banks
Famous hockey player Wayne Gretzky once described the key to his success: "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been." This is great advice for investors in today's market -- especially when they're looking at Canadian banks. Canada's banks have taken a hit with the broader market, but it's where these stocks may be going next that makes them well worth considering.

Emerging Markets Haven't Been this Inexpensive in Years -- And Indonesia Offers a 9.2% Income Play
The global stock market sell-off has hit emerging markets especially hard, as investors move away from those areas they consider the most risky. One country that could be among the leaders in the next bull market is Indonesia.

Finding a Healthy Company in an Unsafe Market
For years, any investor who was asked which U.S. companies were the healthiest would likely point to the Dow Jones Industrial Average and blue chips like Johnson & Johnson, IBM or AT&T. But now, with the global economy soft and the financial sector in shambles, markets are experiencing unprecedented volatility.

An Undervalued Market Sporting 17.3% Yields
A historic investing opportunity is afoot in Taiwan's undervalued market. This article identifies three stocks paying rich dividend yields above 10%.

The Income Secret That Lets You Use the Bear Market to Your Advantage
As stock prices have fallen dramatically this year, one critical barometer of the market has been rising. Dividend yields are at historic highs -- only two stocks in the S&P 500 showed yields above 6% near the height of last year's rally; that number now stands at 48.

The Little-Known Secret to Successful Real Estate Investing: Triple Net Leases
The housing crisis has derailed stock markets around the world, but there's one corner of the real estate market that has been largely spared -- real estate investment trusts (REITs) with tenants under long-term leases known as "triple net" leases.

International Dividend Index Outperforms Even the Hottest Markets
Data from the past 10 years shows that a leading international dividend index exceeded the performance of every major market benchmark. And it has beat out almost every emerging market, including Brazil, China and Mexico.

Adopt a PET Bond for Yields as High as 15.2%
Yes, bonds are boring. But boring is good in these turbulent markets. Bonds give you some of the most secure income in the world. Plus, their interest payments are not discretionary like stock dividends. These payments are legal obligations.

Olympic Host Could Bring Home the Income-Investing Gold
Most economists expect the Chinese market to grow around +10% a year for the foreseeable future. This brisk pace doesn't leave much for dividend payments, but income investors don't need to worry about missing out on China's economic boom. With thorough research, investors can find high-yielding securities in the region.

Beating the New Tax Laws with High-Yielding MLPs
Americans are benefiting from some of the lowest dividend and capital gains tax rates in the nation's history. But that is scheduled to change -- and investors should be planning now for what is likely to happen in 2011. The good news is that master limited partnerships (MLPs) are a tax-savvy investment choice for protecting your hard-earned income.

Muni Opportunities with 9% Tax-Equivalent Yields
Municipal bonds are one of the most compelling opportunities emerging from the recent turmoil in the credit markets. Munis have seen their prices fall, and over 70% of muni closed-end funds are trading at a discount to the value of their portfolio. But prices didn't drop due to increased risk, but because of a sudden supply increase in the market place, driving prices down and yields up.

Preferred Stocks Offer Big Yields for Conservative Income Investors
In an environment where stocks are in a slump and bond yields are low, yield-hungry investors may find themselves scratching their heads in search of a safe place to park their money. In such a case, preferred stocks may be just what the doctor ordered.

Fly to Quality with U.S. Treasury Funds
When gut-wrenching volatility hits the market and the economic outlook is negative, nervous investors look for safe, dependable investments. And you would be hard-pressed to find any safer payouts than those offered by U.S. Treasuries.

Use a Market Sell-off to Lock in Higher Yields
Hardly any investor likes to see the market drop, but there is good news. A declining market can dramatically ratchet up yields. And over the long-term, a little extra yield goes a long way.

Double Your Dividends by Investing in Foreign Companies
For investors in search of yields better than the S&P's paltry 2% average, foreign stocks may provide the answer.

High-Yield Bonds Will Offer Competitive Returns When the Economy Improves
This investment class was tainted years ago by the investment scandal involving Michael Milken, but the market has involved since then and is now quite appealing. Once spreads finish widening and the market begins to pick up steam, high-yield bonds will offer market beating returns.

Utilities Offer Stability No Matter What the Market Conditions
Utilities are generally considered a staid and buttoned-down class of investments. But these companies are the most solid and predictable companies on the market. With stable revenues and a track record of returning the bulk of their income back to shareholders, utility companies have been one of the greatest distributors of dividends for many years.

Profit from Tax-Loss Selling with Closed-End Funds
A study in The Journal of Finance found that many closed-end funds tend to sell off in the last few weeks of the year and then rally come January. The reason for this behavior is that tax-sensitive investors often sell funds at a loss late in the year to help offset capital gains elsewhere, and look to repurchase them at the start of the year. Carla Pasternak teaches you how to take advantage of this phenomenon.

"Upstream" Master Limited Partnerships -- A New Security for Income Investors
It may be too late to ride many energy stocks to the top, but it's not too late for another group of energy-related securities that are bursting out of the starting gate: "upstream" master limited partnerships (MLPs).

Earn Double-Digit Yields by Investing in Canadian Royalty Trusts
While U.S.-based trusts have their limitations, a cadre of Canadian income trusts has been paying out generous, tax-advantaged cash flows to investors for nearly two decades. Now, many Canadian royalty trusts pay double-digit percentage yields while offering income investors exposure to the fast-growing energy market.

Earn Higher Returns by Investing in Securities Paying Monthly Dividends
You may have noticed that most securities pay their dividends quarterly, that is, every three months. Others pay monthly and a few securities may pay annually or semi-annually. Although quarterly payments are far more typical, the more frequent monthly dividends do provide an advantage for investors.

Capture High Yields and Steady Returns with Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs)
Like real estate investment trusts (REITs), MLPs pay out most of their cash flow to shareholders. As a result, the group carries an average yield of about 6.0% -- more than three times the puny 1.6% yield offered by the average stock in the S&P 500 Index.

The Power of Compounded Dividends -- Using DRIPs to Grow Your Wealth
Over the long run, there's no better way to grow wealthy in the investment markets than to systematically invest in high-quality stocks and funds, hold on for the long haul . . . and reinvest your dividends. That's why Dividend Reinvestment Plans, or "DRIPs," are such powerful wealth-builders.