Getting big returns from financial portfolios, whether through stocks, bonds, ETFs, other securities, or a combination of all, is an investor's dream. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.

Dividend stocks are great for many reasons, not least because any company that can sustain growing payouts for a long time likely has a strong underlying business. It's even better to invest in excellent income stocks when they seem to be trading at attractive valuations,