Investing on Wall Street means taking the bad with the good at times. As much as we'd prefer the stock market never have a down day, stock market corrections, crashes, and bear markets are a normal part of long-term investing.

When bear markets arise, as one did last year for all three major U.S. stock indexes, it's not uncommon for investors to seek the safety provided by dividend stocks. Companies that dole out a regular dividend tend to be profitable and time tested. In other words, they're well positioned to navigate the uncertainty that accompanies a bear market.

Income stocks also have a phenomenal track record of outperforming publicly traded companies that don't offer a dividend.

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Source Fool.com