My top financial goal is to reduce my dependence on my job for income. The rise of AI is making me increasingly concerned about the longevity of my profession. That's driving me to focus on gaining my financial independence by growing my passive investment income to the point where it can cover my basic living expenses.
A core aspect of my strategy is to invest more money into high-yielding dividend stocks over the next year. Three top ones I plan to continue buying hand over fist in the coming year are Realty Income (O -0.31%), Enbridge (ENB -0.34%), and Main Street Capital (MAIN 0.14%). Here's why I think they're great options for investors like me who want to generate more passive income in 2026 and beyond.
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The model of consistency
Realty Income is the epitome of a passive income investment. The real estate investment trust (REIT) pays a dependable monthly dividend with a high current yield (nearly 5.5%). That high yield enables investors like me to generate a lot more income from every dollar they invest compared to lower-yielding options. For example, every $100 invested in the REIT would produce about $5.50 of annual dividend income, nearly four times that of the average dividend stock, considering the S&P 500's 1.2% yield.
The REIT has been very dependable throughout its history. It has declared 664 consecutive monthly dividend payments since its formation. Realty Income has increased its payment 132 times since its initial public market listing in 1994, including for the past 112 straight quarters and every single year since its public listing.
Realty Income is in a strong position to continue paying a bankable and growing dividend. It owns a diversified portfolio of retail, industrial, gaming, and other properties net leased to many of the world's leading companies. Those leases provide it with very stable and predictable rental income. Meanwhile, Realty Income has a conservative financial profile, including one of the 10 best balance sheets in the REIT sector. That strong financial foundation provides it with the flexibility to continue acquiring income-producing commercial real estate, supporting its steadily rising dividend.
Built for reliability
Enbridge has been a very reliable dividend stock over the decades. The Canadian pipeline and utility company has paid dividends for more than 70 years and has increased its payout for the last 30 consecutive years. That's impressive considering all the volatility in the energy sector.
The energy infrastructure company's low-risk business profile has allowed it to easily navigate the sector's volatility. About 98% of its earnings come from stable and predictable cost-of-service agreements or long-term contracts. Its business is so predictable that Enbridge has achieved its annual financial guidance for 19 years in a row, a period that included two major recessions and two other periods of energy market turbulence. The company's stable cash flows support its nearly 6%-yielding dividend.
Enbridge's business produces significant excess free cash after paying dividends. It also has a strong investment-grade balance sheet. This gives it the financial flexibility to continue investing in the growth of its business. It currently has billions of dollars of commercially secured organic expansion projects in its backlog, providing it with visibility into its earnings growth rate through the end of the decade. That will give it plenty of fuel to continue increasing its high-yielding payout.
Bankable passive income plus a little extra
Main Street Capital is a business development corporation (BDC) that provides capital, primarily debt, to smaller, private companies ($10 million to $500 million in revenue). Those investments generate interest and dividend income.
As a BDC, the company must distribute 90% of its taxable net income to investors to remain in compliance with IRS regulations. Main Street knows that income-focused investors highly value stability. That drives its unique dividend policy. The BDC pays a monthly dividend set at a rate it can sustain during a down market. Additionally, it pays supplemental quarterly dividends from its excess income to remain in compliance with IRS guidelines.
This policy has been very successful. Main Street Capital has never reduced its monthly dividend payment since completing its IPO in 2007. Instead, it has raised the payout by 132% over the years, aiming to increase this base payment at a sustainable rate as its portfolio expands. Main Street also pays supplemental dividends with its excess income. These additional payments can vary depending on its income and market conditions. Over the past 12 months, the company's combined dividend payments have added up to a 6.6% annualized dividend yield.
Big-time income stocks
Realty Income, Enbridge, and Main Street Capital are ideal income stocks for my strategy. They pay very durable, high-yielding dividends that steadily grow. That will help me generate more passive income in 2026 and beyond, which is why I plan to buy these dividend stocks even more aggressively over the coming year.
