I'm self-employed, so I'm on my own when it comes to saving for retirement. I don't have a pension plan or a 401(k) match to help me retire more comfortably. So I take a reasonably cautious approach with my retirement account. I strive to make investments that I firmly believe will grow my retirement nest egg over the long term.

That's why I focus on dividend stocks. They are proven wealth creators. Over the past 50 years, the average dividend stock in the S 500 has delivered a 9.1% average annual total return, outpacing the 7.7% return of an equal-weighted S 500 Index. Meanwhile, dividend growers and initiators have delivered even higher total returns of 10.2%. That data has given me the confidence to load my retirement portfolio with dividend growth stocks.

I plan to add several more dividend growers to my retirement account this April, including (NYSE: CVX) and Rexford Industrial Realty (NYSE: REXR). Here's why I believe they'll help build my retirement nest egg.

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Source Fool.com