Intel and Walgreens Boots Alliance are some of the more notable dividend stocks that have cut or suspended their dividend payments this year. The danger for investors is in assuming that a dividend is always going to be safe, only to one day get a horrible surprise.

Unfortunately, there's no way to know for sure if a dividend cut or suspension is going to come. However, one way dividend investors can protect themselves is by going with exchange-traded funds (ETFs). ETFs can provide you with some better protection since you won't be as exposed to just one single investment.

Three ETFs that can give you some solid diversification and can be good sources of recurring income for years and potentially decades are ProShares S 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NYSEMKT: NOBL), iShares Select Dividend ETF (NASDAQ: DVY), and Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund ETF Shares (NYSEMKT: VIG).

Continue reading

Source Fool.com