Investment for income is generally a long-term proposition. It implies stability and it makes particularly good sense for people who do not expect to become market experts or security analysts.
In fact, there are respected authorities who state flatly that the investor who seeks anything more than income from securities must be classed as a speculator, a risky role to play for any but the most sure-footed professional.
Long term, it should be noted, does not mean forever. It does not mean buy-and-forget. Whatever your holdings, you should review them several times a year and stay alert for news indicating whether the prospects are good that your companies will continue to maintain their present level of earnings.
Unless you have strong reasons for dissatisfaction with an income stock, however, there is little to be gained by switching. Generally speaking, there is not enough difference in the yield, say, from two good-quality utility company stocks to justify the expense of selling one and buying the other. (Although 100 shares of a stock paying $3 would produce $50 more income annually than one paying $2.50, it would take more than a year to rationalize the commissions and taxes paid to sell the latter and buy the former).
Dividends have their own way of accumulating. Given the steady upward trend of stocks in this century, a well-chosen security will reward the investor who holds it patiently. In even five years there can be a dramatic increase in yield. Take, for instance, Central Illinois Public Service CIP on the ticker tape