Dividend checks continue to get fatter in corporate America, as more companies jack up their distribution rates.

Readers of the Income Investor newsletter can certainly appreciate that kind of thinking. Let's take a closer look at some of the companies that inched their payouts higher this past week.

We can start with American Tower (NYSE: AMT).

The company sets up radio towers that it then leases out to wireless carriers and radio broadcasters. Everyone needs a stronger signal, so business has been brisk. American Tower's new quarterly distribution of $0.22 a share is a marginal improvement over its previous $0.21-a-share rate, but the move is still significant. American Tower shifted to a REIT model recently where it receives tax-advantaged status for passing along most of its profits to investors in the form of dividends. In other words, a payout boost is also an indicator of improving profitability.

Realty Income (NYSE: O) is also on the move. Investors in the retail-based REIT will be receiving $0.146125 per share every month, a 0.2% improvement from the previous month's disbursement of $0.1458125 a share.

The boost may seem puny, but keep in mind that this is a monthly move. Realty Income has now come through with 66 consecutive months of increases.

Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) is also aiming higher. The consumer electronics retailer may be looking for a new CEO -- and perhaps a showrooming-proof model -- but it's going to reward patient investors. The superstore chain's quarterly payout is growing 6% to $0.17 a share.

Finally we have Walgreen (NYSE: WAG) upping the dose on its yield. The drugstore chain's boosting its quarterly dividend 22% to $0.275 a share. Investors may have been skeptical about Walgreen's iffy acquisition of British drugstore chain Alliance Boots in a costly deal last week, but you won't hear them complain about meatier distributions.

Checks and balances
Subscribers to the Income Investor newsletter can appreciate the companies sending more and more money to their investors. The newsletter singles out companies that are committed to growing their distributions with market-thumping results.

Want to see what is being recommended these days? Go ahead and give the newsletter service a shot with a 30-day trial subscription. Who knows? Maybe the next thing that will get hiked will be your interest.

If you want to track these stocks to see if and when they hike their payouts again, consider adding them to My Watchlist.