* Alpine Total Dynamic Dividend Fund (AOD) Update

In December 2007, I began looking at the Alpine Total Dynamic Dividend Fund (AOD). This is a closed-end fund with an investment objective to invest in equity securities that provide high current dividend income. The fund attempts to optimize both dividend income and long-term growth of capital. This is a very diverse and flexible fund. It employs a global, multi-cap, multi-sector, and multi-style investment approach. The fund combines four research-driven investment strategies – Growth, Value, Special Dividends, and Dividend Capture Rotation.

* Refining Risk Measurement Of Dividend Stocks

Earlier we looked at the RQ (Risk/Quality) ratings of individual stocks. This was a good start to help us understand the risk profile of a stock, and our dividend stock portfolio, but it didn't quite go far enough. Since then I have continued to measure, calculate and calibrate a more comprehensive measure of risk. I sill use the RQ rating as 50% of the new measure, but I have added these two important indicators of risk:

* Stock Analysis: Kraft Foods Inc (KFT)

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

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

Company Description: Kraft Foods is the largest U.S. branded food and beverage company, and the second largest in the world.

* Weekly Links: Carnivals & Articles - December 28, 2008

Each Sunday 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.

* Updated D4L-PreScreen.xls Model

By far, my most used and most downloaded model is the D4L-PreScreen.xls model. I have just completed an update on it. This update includes the normal year-end changes, plus some rework on the Projected Information section. The changes are described below:

* Three Stocks Giving The Gift Of Increased Dividends

Christmas is a time of giving. Families and loved-ones give gifts to each other. Many people give money to the needy and charities, while others give their time to help those that are not quite as fortunate. It seems that everyone is involved in giving this time of year, even corporations. Some companies are giving the gift of nothing, others are giving something much more tangible!