Dividends are a feather pillow and a warm blanket to help us sleep as the market rages outside. Collecting dividends means profits don't depend on the latest Federal Reserve meeting or speech by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. These short-term market events will probably seem like ancient history by 2024 anyway. A steady income stream is essential to new investors building a portfolio, to retirees, and to everyone in between.

For some investors, this is their first chance to wrestle with a bear market, while investing veterans have seen several. There is no need to fear a bear market; a down market means snagging higher yields. Combining rising dividends with secular growth stocks is the best of both worlds.

When you think of semiconductor (or "chip") stocks, popular stocks Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices probably come to mind. These are terrific companies, but the volatile stocks offer little or no yield. Down cycles make for rough sledding.

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Source Fool.com