Free Article Join Over 1 Million Premium Members And Get More In-Depth Stock Guidance and Research

5 Signs Your Dividend Stocks Might Be in Trouble

By Matthew Frankel, CFP® - Aug 19, 2015 at 6:40PM

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

If your dividend stocks meet any of these five criteria, it may be a sign of trouble ahead.

Do you know the red flags to look for when evaluating dividend stocks? Even if a company keeps making its payments as scheduled, there could still be problems that aren't apparent. With that in mind, here are five things you should make sure to look for when evaluating dividend stocks as potential investments, and when checking up on the dividend stocks in your portfolio.

3 Disastrous Outcomes of Relying On Social Security Alone to Fund Your Retirement

Down 20%-Plus, Is It Safe to Invest in the Stock Market Right Now?

5 Surefire Investments You'll Thank Yourself for Later

Is This Really the Right Time to Invest in the Stock Market?

Working in Retirement? Here's Why That's Great... and Why It's Really Not

Motley Fool Returns

Market-beating stocks from our award-winning analyst team.

Stock Advisor Returns

316%

S&P 500 Returns

112%

Calculated by average return of all stock recommendations since inception of the Stock Advisor service in February of 2002. Returns as of 07/03/2022.

Discounted offers are only available to new members. Stock Advisor list price is $199 per year.

Join Stock Advisor

Cumulative Growth of a $10,000 Investment in Stock Advisor

Calculated by Time-Weighted Return since 2002. Volatility profiles based on trailing-three-year calculations of the standard deviation of service investment returns.