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.

Last week we saw further market volatility as major indexes continued extending their losses for October, which could turn out to be the worst month for the markets since 1938. There was an announcement from S&P which decreased the expected dividend growth for 2008 to 1.20% and also provided a cautionary outlook for dividends and earnings in 2009.

All in a matter of weeks we have gone from "the sky is falling" to dropping gas prices. People weren't happy before and they are not happy now. Is change and misery the only constants left in the world? Not from where I am sitting.