These 3 Dividend ETFs Are a Retiree's Best Friend

Are you interested in good, reliable retirement income but disinterested in keeping tabs on a portfolio of individual dividend stocks? No problem. There are several exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, that fit the bill. Here's a rundown of three of the top choices from this category -- in no particular order.

There are lots of dividend stocks, but not all dividend stocks are the same. It makes sense to make a point of seeking out companies in the habit of regular dividend hikes. That's the key characteristic of the iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (NYSEMKT: DGRO).

Designed to mirror Morningstar's US Dividend Growth Index, this exchange-traded fund is limited to stocks with at least five consecutive years of uninterrupted annual dividend growth as well as stocks with significant profit-margin rates that leave plenty of room for continuous payout growth. Namely, the company's payout ratio can't exceed 75% of net earnings.

Source Fool.com