Generating income from an investment for the rest of your life is a tall order, regardless of your age or risk tolerance. To have that level of confidence in a company, the business has to be operationally sound and endure economic cycles. It should have financial credibility, a strong balance sheet, and a pathway toward growing earnings and dividend payouts.

Dividend Kings are a rare breed of companies that have paid and raised their dividends for at least 50 consecutive years. While that track record doesn't guarantee a company will increase its dividend for another 50 years, it shows that it has raised its payout even during economic slowdowns, recessions, geopolitical risk, conflicts, and other challenging periods.

Here's why these Fool.com contributors think Emerson Electric (NYSE: EMR), Illinois Tool Works (NYSE: ITW), and California Water Service Group (NYSE: CWT) are three top dividend stocks to buy now.

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Source Fool.com