Some companies don’t just pay dividends—they raise them year after year, no matter what the market throws at them. These are the Dividend Aristocrats: a select group of S&P 500 companies that have increased their dividends for at least 25 straight years.

If you're interested in dividend investing, you've likely heard about the dividend aristocrats. These are a special breed of dividend paying stocks that have not only paid their dividends consistently over time, but have also increased their payouts as well.

But which companies make the cut in 2026, and how can you invest? Here’s what you need to know.

President Trump has declared an State of Emergency to combat the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. For borrowers with student loans, this can be a challenging time. It will only get worse if there is a nationwide quarantine or even a lock-down.

With all of the shutdowns and closures, having a stable income to pay your student loans can be a challenge. Plus, there is a lot of misinformation about what is and isn't applicable for student loan borrowers.

Let's break down what the Emergency Declaration and what it means for your student loans, as well as what will happen if we move to a full quarantine or a government lock-down.

A separately managed account (SMA) is a portfolio owned by one person (or one legal entity such as a trust) that is managed by a professional investment manager. In an SMA arrangement, the investment manager has discretion over how the SMA funds are invested, and the manager may make different investment decisions for different accounts.

The primary benefit of SMAs is that investment managers can offer customization based on an investor’s goals and taxable income situations. The primary drawbacks to these accounts are the high management costs, and the possibility of underperformance.

Since SMAs are typically only available to individuals with a high net worth with at least $250,000 in investment assets, most people don’t have to decide whether to consider the accounts. However, if you’re wealthy today, or plan to become wealthy some day, these are the things you should know about SMAs.

Some small-cap stocks have the potential to take off and become the next big thing.

Investing in small caps, though, can be a wild ride, as they tend to be more volatile than larger companies.

So what are small caps and how do you invest in them anyway? Let’s find out.

If you're looking for a place to invest in small-cap stocks, check out our list of the best online stock brokers.