In the following video, part of our "Motley Fool Conversations" series, Motley Fool analyst John Reeves and David Meier, associate advisor of Million Dollar Portfolio, discuss topics across the investing world.

In today's edition, John and David talk about some promising dividend stocks for 2012. Dave shares three attractive ideas and tells John what he looks for in an outstanding dividend stock. We also spend some time talking about what to avoid when hunting for dividends. Watch the video here:

If you're interested in any of the companies we talked about on your quest for great dividend-paying stocks, The Motley Fool has compiled a special free report outlining our 11 favorite, dependable, dividend-paying stocks. It's called "Secure Your Future With 11 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks." You can access your complimentary copy today at no cost -- just click here.