Income investing is a good idea in today’s hostile markets. But Louis Basenese says General Electric’s (NYSE:GE) high dividend doesn’t compensate for the company’s current problems. Louis recommends TEPPCO Partners (NYSE:TPP), a master limited partnership with a solid revenue stream and ample liquidity.

Amid the doom and gloom reports on the economy, Alexander Green says the stock market should perform well in 2009. The market generally recovers long before the wider economy, meaning big gains are possible even during a recession. And for the first time in half a century, stocks are yielding more than US treasuries, marking the return of a strong buy signal for stocks.

Trying to predict the daily movements of the markets is hopeless these days, says David Newman. But that doesn’t matter. Great long-term opportunities are still out there. General Electric (NYSE:GE) is a top grade company with an undervalued share price. And its high and steady dividend means investors are in no hurry to snap up quick gains.

Times are tough. But they are not so bad that we should abandon the quest for profits, says Louis Basenese. Buying US Treasury bonds with zero yields is idiotic. Louis gives six alternative investment options with big profit potential.

Steve McDonald looks ahead to the investment climate in the new year. He sees a bounce in the Dow reaching as high as 11,000. But an economic recovery will depend on whether the Obama administration can restore confidence in the public. For 2009’s top money-makers, Steve picks six high-dividend stocks and two corporate bond plays.

Traditionally safe dividend stocks have been whacked along with everything else by this credit crisis, as struggling companies are forced to slash payments. But David Newman says Reverse Convertible Notes are little-known securities that truly guarantee a steady income. And you never have to own the underlying stock…

There is a way to join a company’s long-term employee benefit program without lifting a finger, says Jim Nelson. Some firms offer Dividend Retirement Plans (DRIPs), which allow you to both receive regular dividend checks and reinvest earnings in discounted stock. And as long as dividend payments keep coming, there is no need to worry about a volatile share price.

Yesterday’s assurance by General Electric (NYSE:GE) that it will maintain its dividend next year is a big buy signal says Andrew Snyder. The mega-conglomerate is one of America’s finest, and it will see its way through this recession. Better still: investors can lock in to this stable income stream at dirt cheap prices today.

Lynn Carpenter says pension fund deficits could be a major threat to dividend payments. Legislation forces companies to keep private pension plans well funded, meaning some will have to raise large sums of cash at short notice. Lynn picks 9 firms that could soon be forced into making big dividend cuts.

President Elect Barack Obama promises to rebuild America “calloused hand by calloused hand.” David Fessler says Airgas Inc. (NYSE:ARG) is an great way to play an infrastructure boom. The company is the largest manufacturer and distributor of industrial, medical and speciality gases in the country. It’s business is well insulated from the economic slowdown, and it just hiked its dividend payment by 33%.