* Who is Raul Alvarez and Why Should We Listen to Him?

Raul Alvarez was born in Havana Cuba in 1955 into a very successful family. Before fleeing to the U.S. during Castro's takeover, Raul's mother worked as a marine biologist and his father was the President of Cuban Airways. Raul recalls, "As an immigrant, and losing everything they lost, [my parents] were so determined to ensure that their kids wouldn't have to go through that and that they were absolutely self-sustaining."

* General Dynamics Corp. (GD) Stock Analysis

This article originally appeared on The DIV-Net March 23, 2009.

Linked here is a detailed quantitative analysis of General Dynamics Corp. (GD). Below are some highlights from the above linked analysis:

Company Description: General Dynamics is the world's sixth largest military contractor and also one of the world's biggest manufacturers of business jets.

* Weekly Links: March 29, 2009

Each Sunday I highlight the Carnivals I participated in over the past week, along with any notable articles that I came across. For those readers not familiar with carnivals, it's where personal finance bloggers submit their best articles of the week with one blog serving as the host. The entries are separated into various categories such as Investing, Credit, Debt, Budgeting, Frugality, Wealth Building, Money Management, Financial Planning, Insurance, Taxes, The Economy, Real Estate, et. al.

* Champion Dividend Stocks

There are winners and there are champions in every walk of life. The difference is subtle, but very real. A champion is driven for success and will not let anything stand in its way. Some dividend stocks can be classified as champions. A bad economy, tight credit markets and a dark cloud of uncertainty are enough send some dividend companies running for the exit. However, these are the times that champions stand firm.

* Early Warning Signs of a Dividend Cut

It seems each week another dividend Aristocrat, Achiever or Champion cuts its dividend after increasing it for 10 or more years. In most cases the companies' investors were not surprised because they saw the early warning signs that indicated a dividend cut was imminent. Here are three signs that a company is heading toward a dividend cut:

* Will Housing Lead Us Out Of The Recession?

Looking back to the beginning of the current recession, there were two things that initially put the brakes on the economy: 1.) the sub-prime melt-down and 2.) virtual halt of residential construction. They go hand-in-hand. As new homes are constructed, many were being bought by those wanting to upgrade. In turn they had to sell their house. Eventually, as new home construction expanded while the buying population shrank, the only way to feed the beast was to expand the sub-prime market. Like most houses of cards, ultimately it failed. Has housing finally hit bottom?

* Genuine Parts Co. (GPC) Stock Analysis

This article originally appeared on The DIV-Net March 16, 2009.

Linked here is a detailed quantitative analysis of Genuine Parts Co. (GPC). Below are some highlights from the above linked analysis:

Company Description: Genuine Parts Co. is a leading wholesale distributor of automotive replacement parts, industrial parts and supplies, and office products.

* Weekly Links: March 22, 2009

Each Sunday I highlight the Carnivals I participated in over the past week, along with any notable articles that I came across. For those readers not familiar with carnivals, it's where personal finance bloggers submit their best articles of the week with one blog serving as the host. The entries are separated into various categories such as Investing, Credit, Debt, Budgeting, Frugality, Wealth Building, Money Management, Financial Planning, Insurance, Taxes, The Economy, Real Estate, et. al.

* Oracle (ORCL): The Birth Of A New Dividend Stock

It is a powerful statement when others are hoarding cash that a company has the confidence to declare its first dividend to eliminate excess cash. Oracle (ORCL) did just that on Wednesday when it reported third-quarter EPS of $0.35/share, $0.03/share better than the analyst estimate of $0.32/share, and it declared its first ever dividend of $0.05/share. The dividend yield is 1.15%. ORCL is a leading supplier of enterprise database management systems and business applications.

* In Dividend Investing, Cash Is King

Are you looking for companies that can sustain and grow their dividend? In making that determination, a company's Statement of Earnings is one of the last places you should look. Cash is king for the dividend investor and the Statement of Cash Flows is where astute investors begin when they want to understand the viability of a company.

* Intel Corp (INTC): A Winning Strategy

In January 2008, I considered the possibility of adding a tech company to my dividend income portfolio. It couldn't be just any tech company since most are quite volatile and don't produce sufficient cash to pay a consistent and rising dividend. Two tech companies that were worthy of consideration were Microsoft (MSFT) and Intel Corp (INTC) due to their ability to generate free cash flow. I considered INTC the stronger of the two and had high hopes, but things didn't initially work out. Eventually, patience paid off and when INTC's price and interest rates dropped to the point the numbers made sense, I purchased it. So what's INTC's outlook now?

* Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) Stock Analysis

This article originally appeared on The DIV-Net March 9, 2009.

Linked here is a detailed quantitative analysis of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT). Below are some highlights from the above linked analysis:

Company Description: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the largest retailer in North America. The company operates retail stores in various formats worldwide. It operates through three segments: Wal-Mart Stores, Sam's Club, and International.

* Weekly Links: March 15, 2009

Each Sunday I highlight the Carnivals I participated in over the past week, along with any notable articles that I came across. For those readers not familiar with carnivals, it's where personal finance bloggers submit their best articles of the week with one blog serving as the host. The entries are separated into various categories such as Investing, Credit, Debt, Budgeting, Frugality, Wealth Building, Money Management, Financial Planning, Insurance, Taxes, The Economy, Real Estate, et. al.

* Pocket Change Portfolio - February 2009

On the second or third Saturday of the month I update the Pocket Change Portfolio (PCP). The table below reconciles the PCP from beginning of period to end of period for February 2009, Year-To-Date (2009) and Life-To-Date. The Portfolio Returns line provides the calculated return for the three displayed periods.

* The Few, The Proud, The Dividend Raisers!

This last week was similar to each of the two prior weeks in that we saw another large bank slash its dividend by more than 80%. Last Friday, Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) cut its dividend by 85% to $0.05. The company said it would help them retain an additional $5 billion in common equity each year.

* Should You Sell A Dividend Stock After A Dividend Freeze?

When I add a stock to my dividend portfolio, it is my intention to hold the stock forever. However, sometimes selling a stock is the right thing to do. In determining when to sell a dividend stock, I have one hard and fast sell rule: When an individual stock held as a dividend investment lowers its dividend, immediately sell it. This rule has served me well. Since I have begun chronicling by investments online, there have been several stocks I sold immediately after a dividend cut. Here is a list of those stocks with my exit price and a recent price:

* Warren Buffett Quotes

As mentioned in previous articles, I love inspirational (and other) quotes. I see quotes as a portal to someone’s inner self. They reveal much about the person both good and bad. Read enough of a person’s quotes and you will get to know the person. Let’s spend some time getting to know Warren Buffett through his quotes.

* Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP) Stock Analysis

This article originally appeared on The DIV-Net March 2, 2009.

Linked here is a detailed quantitative analysis of Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP). Below are some highlights from the above linked analysis:

Company Description: Automatic Data Processing Inc. is one of the world's largest independent computing services companies, provides a broad range of data processing services.

* Weekly Links: March 8, 2009

Each Sunday I highlight the Carnivals I participated in over the past week, along with any notable articles that I came across. For those readers not familiar with carnivals, it's where personal finance bloggers submit their best articles of the week with one blog serving as the host. The entries are separated into various categories such as Investing, Credit, Debt, Budgeting, Frugality, Wealth Building, Money Management, Financial Planning, Insurance, Taxes, The Economy, Real Estate, et. al.

* Progress Update - February 2009

Once again it is time for a goals/progress update. Unfortunately, I must report that for the first time since I began publicly tracking my annualized dividend income, it declined from the prior month. The AOD dividend cut set a high hurdle and the GE cut on the last day of the month would have been difficult to overcome. I knew given the environment, it was only a matter of time before the streak would break. However, I am pleased to say that my annualized dividend income has increased in 14 of the last 15 months, dating back to December 2007 when I began tracking it. I look forward to starting a new streak.

* As Financials Wither, One Titan Stands Strong

Last week we mentioned that JPMorgan (JPM), the second-largest U.S. bank, slashed its dividend by 87% to $0.05. Possibly that wasn't quite enough to keep keep big brother happy, so JPM took their quarterly dividend down to $0.01/share. The dividend is to be paid on Friday, April 3, 2009 to common stockholders of record as of Friday, March 20, 2009. JPM closed down 8.14% - it is always good to deliver bad news twice.

* TARP Trips: You Can't Stop At Just One

If you put a band aid on a gaping wound and tell the person that they are going to be all right, your actions have done more harm than good. In many ways this is what is happening with the TARP bail out. And like the old potato chip commercial, a lot of these banks can't stop at one - they are lining up at the TARP trough to feed again on public money.

* Parker Hannifin Corp (PH) Stock Analysis

This article originally appeared on The DIV-Net February 23, 2009.

Company Description: Parker-Hannifin Corp is a global maker of industrial pumps, valves and hydraulics. Its products are used in everything from jet engines to trucks and autos and utility turbines.

* Federal Reserve To Urge Banks to Stop Paying Dividends

Last Wednesday, Bloomberg reported that The Federal Reserve is urging Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) and dozens of banks getting bailout funds to put the money into new loans, bolster loss reserves and not to pay dividends to shareholders. It seems the message has been heard. JPMorgan (JPM), the second-largest U.S. bank, slashed its dividend by 87% to $0.05. CEO Jamie Dimon said the decision wasn’t “directly related” to the $25 billion it received under the government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Not all companies have the government helping them run their businesses, so they are free to continue raising their dividends. Here are several that have done just that:

* Weekly Links: March 1, 2009

Each Sunday I highlight the Carnivals I participated in over the past week, along with any notable articles that I came across. For those readers not familiar with carnivals, it's where personal finance bloggers submit their best articles of the week with one blog serving as the host. The entries are separated into various categories such as Investing, Credit, Debt, Budgeting, Frugality, Wealth Building, Money Management, Financial Planning, Insurance, Taxes, The Economy, Real Estate, et. al.