It's been mentioned before, but the concerns I'm hearing are from Short Term results. DG is a Long Term strategy, provided you stick with a select group of companies who have a history of paying and increasing dividends. You have to select the stocks you feel comfortable with and meet your investment goals.
Comparing to an index or market should not be a concern. Those returns are based on short term and don't reflect real dollars to the investor. Only dividends received are real, unless you wish to try the Buy Low, Sell High strategy or some other active trading strategy.
The question should not be matching market or index performance but: "Is the income from my investments growing at a reasonable rate" If the income grows so will the value of your investment, eventually.
Comparing to an index or market should not be a concern. Those returns are based on short term and don't reflect real dollars to the investor. Only dividends received are real, unless you wish to try the Buy Low, Sell High strategy or some other active trading strategy.
The question should not be matching market or index performance but: "Is the income from my investments growing at a reasonable rate" If the income grows so will the value of your investment, eventually.