3 Core Retirement Stocks For Every Portfolio

The future of retirement ain't what it used to be. Retirees today generally do not have a pension to fall back on, and Social Security hardly pays the bills. This means that now, more than ever, Americans are responsible for funding their own retirements. Today, we're going to look at three stocks that I consider a solid foundation for a retirement portfolio. All pay respectable current dividends, and - importantly - all have a long history of raising their dividends. That's critical to ensure your income stream keeps up with inflation over time.

Three stocks does not make a properly diversified portfolio, of course, but these three can be thought of as core holdings you can hold through thick and thin. Buy them, collect the dividends, and put your mind at ease. At the top of the list is a stock that has become nearly as a big of a pariah as Big Tobacco: Global fast food giant McDonald's (NYSE:MCD). Next up is a stock that I own… and have pledged never to sell: the "Monthly Dividend Company," Realty Income (NYSE:O). I'm serious when I say that I intend to pass my shares of Realty Income to my kids. And for my final core retirement stock, I give you consumer goods and packaged foods company Unilever (NYSE:UL). Pending the actual End of Days, Unilever will still be around 30 years from now and will still be paying a solid dividend.

Source: Seeking Alpha

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