"The 100 Best Dividend-Paying Stocks to Own in America" by best-selling author Gene Walden is geared to investors interested in increasing their income and reducing their taxes. The book identifies 100 outstanding companies that pay good dividends and typically raise their dividends year after year.

In an era of historically low interest rates, where do you turn for better returns? Great stocks with great dividends, according to "The 100 Best Dividend-Paying Stocks to Own in America," by best-selling author Gene Walden.

In the book, Walden also points out that new tax law changes have made dividend-paying stocks a more attractive option for investors. And unlike the static return of most fixed income investments, dividend-paying companies often raise their dividends year after year, according to Walden, who has written more than 20 books on investing, including seven editions of "The 100 Best Stocks to Own in America."

Under the new tax laws, the highest tax rate you can pay on a qualified dividend is 15 percent—which makes dividend-paying stocks a better tax-advantaged investment than most bonds, certificates of deposit or other types of income-oriented investments.

You’ll find an all-star list of dividend-paying stocks in Walden's latest book, published by Marathon International Book Company. The 100 Best Dividend-Paying Stocks to Own in America includes profiles of each of the 100 companies, as well as ratings and financial history, including dividend growth, dividend yield, earnings growth, sales growth, and stock price appreciation.

In selecting stocks for the book, Walden looked at more than just the dividend yield. “I’m looking for solid companies with growing earnings and revenue and solid financial fundamentals,” explains Walden. “That’s step one. Step two is screening those great companies to come up with the stocks with the best dividend yield and the best dividend growth. But I will not put a lousy company in the book just because it pays a high dividend. The theme of the book is great stocks with great dividends.”

“With the recent change in tax laws, dividends have become more important than ever to investors,” says Jordan Goodman, author of Everyone’s Money Book. “Gene Walden guides you to the 100 best dividend-paying stocks in America so you can take maximum advantage of the current investing environment.”

Walden is the author of more than 20 books on stocks and personal finance, including "The 100 Best Stocks to Own in America" (now in its 7th edition), "The 100 Best Mutual Funds to Own in America," "100 Ways to Beat the Market," and "If Not Stocks, What?"

"The 100 Best Dividend-Paying Stocks" is available online and at book stores. (PRWEB) June 16, 2005