If you're looking for dividend income and you also want to diversify your portfolio into some international holdings, you could do far worse than opting for some global exchange-traded funds (ETFs). But you might do even better than that, by investing in some well-regarded international stocks that sport hefty dividend yields.
Let's consider the ETFs first, though. One solid choice would be the WisdomTree Emerging Markets Equity Income ETF
Investing in foreign companies can be tricky, since many economies are considerably less stable than ours, and most of us are just not that familiar with many global enterprises. By focusing on ETFs that not only invest internationally but also seek dividend income, you're adding a bit of stability, because dividend-paying companies tend to have more reliable earnings.
Another key advantage of choosing the ETF route is that you'll minimize your efforts. Once you do enough research to decide which ETF(s) you want, you can leave your money in their managers' hands, checking in periodically to see how they're doing.
Individual companies
If you're willing to do more work, though, you can rake in more dividend income than these ETFs offer as you focus on a handful of promising dividend-paying companies. Here are a few to consider.
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners
SeaDrill
Telecom giant Telefonica
Based in France, Veolia Environnement
Whether you take the easy route or the less easy but potentially more lucrative route, it's smart to include dividend payers and international stocks in your portfolio -- and dividend-paying international stocks make it all simpler.
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