Stable cash streams and cheap capital costs render essential-service companies largely immune to credit risks in 2011. Read More

Buy and hold solid businesses: That’s the way to build wealth over the long term. Read More

Interest rates will move higher, back into a range that reflects normal economic conditions. Continued stabilization and better prospects for growth will lift essential-service stocks this year. Read More

Low interest rates have allowed essential-service companies to clean up their balance sheets and put themselves in position for more growth in 2011. Read More

The best way to understand what investors are thinking is to venture into their minds. Here’s a sampling from my in-box this week. Read More

Many of the variables that influenced the market and the economy in 2010 will continue to dictate action in 2011. There will be surprises, but what we know about the last 12 months suggests the next 12 should be good for income investors. Read More

By whatever description, recent Federal Reserve actions have a large part of the market a little bit spooked. Here’s the reality of “money printing” for essential-service stocks. Read More

We’ve seen more deals in 2010 than we did in 2009, and signs from the economy suggest the pace in 2011 could approach pre-recession levels. Read More

What to do about telecom in light of new proposed net neutrality rules and answer to other burning questions below. Read More