Traditionally, dividends made up half of the return of a stock investment. Through the 1990's and 2000's, when growth was popular, dividends fell out of favor.
Now with the slow economy dividends are popular again.
Interested in dividends?
A good option is Vanguard's Dividend Appreciation ETF. This ETF provides a diversity of companies and invests in companies that have consistently raised their dividend.
You can also invest in their Dividend Appreciation Index Fund.