* Weekly Links: Carnivals & Articles - October 31, 2008

Each Friday I highlight the Carnivals I participated in over the past week, along with any notable articles that I came across. For those readers not familiar with carnivals, it's where personal finance bloggers submit their best articles of the week with one blog serving as the host. The entries are separated into various categories such as Investing, Credit, Debt, Budgeting, Frugality, Wealth Building, Money Management, Financial Planning, Insurance, Taxes, The Economy, Real Estate, et. al.

* If It Walks Like a Duck, Quacks Like a Duck, Then It Must Be an AFLAC (AFL) Dividend Increase and Others

When I first started dividend investing, I erroneously focused on current dividend yield. I was fortunate enough to accidentally buy some good dividend stocks and hold them long enough to figure out the "secret" of dividend investing. Dividend investing is about future yield, not current yield. It is not necessarily starting with a high-yield investment, but ending up with a high-yield investment. This usually occurs by buying investments with a moderate yield, a history of growing dividends and letting time do its job.

* Stock Analysis: Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Still Buying At This Price

Linked here is a PDF copy of my detailed analysis of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). Below are some highlights from the above linked analysis:

Company Description: Johnson & Johnson engages in the manufacture and sale of various products in the health care field worldwide.

* What To Do With A Dividend Freeze?

Earlier in the month we looked at reasons why to sell a dividend stock when it cuts its dividend. But what should you do if a company opts to just leave its dividend flat? This is happening more and more with the recent economic downturn.

*Stock Analysis: CenturyTel Inc (CTL) High Yield, Highly Discounted

This article originally appeared on The DIV-Net October 22, 2008.

Linked here is a PDF copy of my detailed analysis of CenturyTel Inc (CTL). Below are some highlights from the above linked analysis:

Company Description: CenturyTel Inc. provides a range of telephone services in 25 states, with operations concentrated in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri and Wisconsin.

*Don't Fall Into A Dividend Trap

Prices are falling and yields are rising on dividend stocks. It's a great time to be a dividend investor. That is assuming one of these wonderful stocks you just picked up doesn't do the unspeakable - cut its dividend.