The Little-Known Secret to Beating the S&P 500
If you can't beat the S&P 500 by picking individual stocks, owning an S&P 500 index fund and at least earning market returns is a smart move. Not just any dividend-paying stocks, mind you, but those that can grow their dividend payments consistently. Hartford Funds and Ned Davis Research have been tracking the average annual total returns of companies in the S&P 500 by dividend policy.