3 Top High-Yield Dividend Stocks to Buy in 2016

Interested in income from stocks? You should be. After all, dividends represent a big proportion -- about 40% historically -- of the S&P 500's total return. And more broadly, they're a great way to set up a recurring cash machine that writes you checks quarterly (and in some dividend stocks' case, even monthly) -- money that can supplement your day job and, later in life, Social Security income.

There are certain companies that have to pay out big dividends, and they're called real estate investment trusts, or REITs. These companies are required to pay 90% of their otherwise taxable income out as dividends, in return for which they don't pay income taxes, so it's a pretty sweet deal for both sides. I went looking for three high-yield dividend REITs that I think are worthy of investors' 2016 portfolios. Let's dive in to Realty Income Group (NYSE:O), Welltower (NYSE:HCN), and STAG Industrial (NYSE:STAG).

Source: Motley Fool

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