Investors looking to transition towards a stable, income generating stock portfolio as they enter their retirement years should give serious consideration to any of the 25 Best Dividend Stocks for Retirement on this list.

This collection of stocks, which features unheralded names like Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE:SKT) and prominent ones like The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO), have been some of the most reliable dividend-paying companies on the market for decades. Each of them have been making dividend payments for at least the last 25 years. All of these stocks pay out quality annual yields as well, of at least 3% as of the end of October.

Dividend stocks are ideal for older investors who have built themselves a large portfolio that no longer needs to rely on high-growth stocks. A sizable portfolio churning out dividend payments at regular intervals can greatly enhance a retiree’s income and perfectly supplement their pension. And it does so without digging into the family nest egg that will be passed on to kin (you know, so the kids don’t whine that you’re living life too well off their future dime).

Of course it’s not just retirement-focused investors that should be looking to good dividend stocks as pillars of their portfolios. Younger investors who won’t be as reliant on dividend payments as a source of income can instead have them reinvested in more shares automatically, enjoying what billionaire Warren Buffett called the biggest reason for his incredible success: the power of compound interest. Even modest amounts of money that compounds over very long stretches of time eventually turns into immense wealth. They’re the perfect stocks to buy young and hold for 40 or 50 years.

Check out 3 Cheap Dividend Stocks That Helped Warren Buffett Earn $3.7 Billion in Dividends in 2017.

Investors do have to pay tax on their dividend payments, which ranges between 10% and just under 40% in the U.S, depending on income bracket and marital status (sorry single people, but your tax rate accelerates the fastest). Canadian investors of U.S dividend stocks will be hit particularly hard, as the Canadian government collects a tax rate of as high as 46% on dividend payments from foreign stocks. And unfortunately, dividend payments that are automatically reinvested as more shares also get taxed at the same rate in both countries. The exception to this are stock dividends, which are already paid out as shares by the company.

At Insider Monkey, we track some of the top dividend investors in the world, including Fisher Investments. Billionaire Ken Fisher’s Top Stock Picks Heading into 2019 include dividend-paying machines like The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) and TOTAL S.A. (NYSE:TOT).

We track the top consensus picks of only the best performing hedge funds each quarter and share them exclusively with our newsletter subscribers. Insider Monkey’s flagship “Best Performing Hedge Funds Strategy” has DESTROYED the market since its May 2014 inception, returning an incredible 96.9%, including 17.4% returns in 2018 (through November 2). The S&P 500? 3.2%. You do the math. Insider Monkey’s “Best Performing Hedge Funds Strategy” has beaten the market by over 8 percentage points annually on average since its 2014 debut. How many more years will you wait to start beating the market? Check out a detailed analysis of Insider Monkey’s impressive performance and past quarterly stock picks for all the details. Our newest picks will be released later this month; don’t miss out!

Check out the 25 Best Dividend Stocks for Retirement below and on the following pages. From the next page, you can click ‘See All’ to have the article converted into a single-page format.

25. Meredith Corporation (NYSE:MDP)

Sector/Industry: Consumer Discretionary / Publishing

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 25

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.5450 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 4.23%

Dividend Last Increased On: 2-27-18

24. Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O)

Sector/Industry: REITs / REIT-Retail Stores

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 25

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.2205 / 12

Annual Dividend Yield: 4.39%

Dividend Last Increased On: 9-28-18

23. Thomson Reuters Corporation (NYSE:TRI)

Sector/Industry: Consumer Discretionary / Media

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 25

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.3500 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 3.00%

Dividend Last Increased On: 14-11-2018

22. Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE:SKT)

Sector/Industry: REITs / REIT-Outlet Stores

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 25

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.3500 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 6.29%

Dividend Last Increased On: 4-27-18

21. People’s United Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:PBCT)

Sector/Industry: Financials / Banking

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 26

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.1750 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 4.47%

Dividend Last Increased On: 4-30-18

20. National Retail Properties, Inc. (NYSE:NNN)

Sector/Industry: REITs / REIT-Retail

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 29

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.5000 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 4.28%

Dividend Last Increased On: 7-30-18

19. Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX)

Sector/Industry: Energy / Oil & Gas

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 31

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $1.1200 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 4.01%

Dividend Last Increased On: 2-15-18

18. Mercury General Corporation (NYSE:MCY)

Sector/Industry: Financials / Insurance

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 32

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.6275 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 4.23%

Dividend Last Increased On: 12-12-2018

17. Universal Health Realty Income Trust (NYSE:UHT)

Sector/Industry: REITs / REIT-Health Care

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 33

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.6700 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 4.18%

Dividend Last Increased On: 6-22-18

16. Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM)

Sector/Industry: Energy / Oil & Gas

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 36

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.8200 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 4.12%

Dividend Last Increased On: 5-11-18

15. Sonoco Products Company (NYSE:SON)

Sector/Industry: Materials / Packaging

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 36

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.4100 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 3.00%

Dividend Last Increased On: 5-10-18

14. Eaton Vance Corp. (NYSE:EV)

Sector/Industry: Financials / Financial Services

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 38

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.3500 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 3.11%

Dividend Last Increased On: 10-30-18

13. Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN)

Sector/Industry: Financials / Financial Services

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 38

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.2300 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 3.02%

Dividend Last Increased On: 12-22-17

12. Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW)

Sector/Industry: Industrials / Machinery

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 44

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $1.0000 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 3.14%

Dividend Last Increased On: 9-27-18

11. Consolidated Edison, Inc. (ED)

Sector/Industry: Utilities / Utility-Electric

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 44

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.7150 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 3.76%

Dividend Last Increased On: 2-13-18

10. United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBSI)

Sector/Industry: Financials / Banking

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 44

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.3400 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 4.10%

Dividend Last Increased On: 12-7-17

9. Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB)

Sector/Industry: Consumer Staples / Personal Products

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 46

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $1.0000 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 3.84%

Dividend Last Increased On: 3-8-18

8. Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (NYSE:HP)

Sector/Industry: Energy / Oil & Gas

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 46

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.7100 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 4.56%

Dividend Last Increased On: 8-16-18

7. Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV)

Sector/Industry: Consumer Staples / Tobacco

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 47

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.7500 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 4.42%

Dividend Last Increased On: 7-6-18

6. Leggett & Platt, Incorporated (NYSE:LEG)

Sector/Industry: Consumer Discretionary / Furniture/Bldg. Prod.

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 47

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.3800 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 4.19%

Dividend Last Increased On: 6-14-18

5. National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE:NFG)

Sector/Industry: Utilities / Utility-Gas

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 48

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.4250 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 3.13%

Dividend Last Increased On: 6-28-18

4. Black Hills Corporation (NYSE:BKH)

Sector/Industry: Utilities / Utility-Electric

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 48

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.5050 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 3.39%

Dividend Last Increased On: 11-16-18

3. Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO)

Sector/Industry: Consumer Staples / Tobacco

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 49

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.8000 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 4.92%

Dividend Last Increased On: 9-13-18

2. Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT)

Sector/Industry: Consumer Discretionary / Retail-Discount

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 51

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.6400 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 3.06%

Dividend Last Increased On: 8-14-18

1. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)

Sector/Industry: Consumer Staples / Beverages-Non-alcoholic

Number of Years Paying Dividends: 56

Current Dividend/Payouts Per Year: $0.3900 / 4

Annual Dividend Yield: 3.26%

Dividend Last Increased On: 3-14-18

Disclosure: None