Big dividend yields can be alluring. They make it seem easy to turn a little bit of money into an attractive income stream.

Unfortunately, many higher-yielding dividends are at high risk of getting cut if market conditions deteriorate. That is likely the case with The Necessity Retail REIT (NASDAQ: RTL) and its 14.3% dividend yield. Because of that, yield-focused investors should avoid that stock and instead consider buying Energy Transfer (NYSE: ET) or Verizon (NYSE: VZ). They offer much more sustainable high-yielding income streams.

The Necessity Retail REIT is undergoing a major strategic shift. The real estate investment trust (REIT) started the year as American Finance Trust, a diversified REIT with retail, office, and warehouse properties. However, the company sold off most of its office properties earlier this year, acquired a large shopping center portfolio, and rebranded as The Necessity Retail REIT to showcase its focus on owning necessity retail properties. 

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Source Fool.com