Dividend stocks aren't just for retirees. They provide passive income streams that can be valuable for people at any stage of life, and they're typically well-established anchor stocks that can provide security and ballast to a diversified and healthy portfolio.

If you have $400 available to invest after paying down debt and building a robust emergency fund, Realty Income (NYSE: O), (NASDAQ: SBUX), and Ally Financial (NYSE: ALLY) are three great candidates to add to your portfolio.

REITs, or real estate investment trusts, are a popular category of dividend stocks. By law, REITs must distribute 90% of their income as dividends, and because of this, they often feature high yields. Realty income is considered a safe and secure investment, and it has paid a dividend for more than 50 years. It has also raised its dividend for 106 quarters consecutively, and it's one of few dividend stocks that pays monthly.

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Source Fool.com