The Neo-Classical Retirement Portfolio

Here are some, but clearly not all, dividend stocks that investors could consider to fill out the equities portion of the neo-classical retirement or pre-retirement portfolio.

A few comments are in order regarding the neo-classical portfolio.

First, investors will need to wean themselves from index and buy and hold approaches. They will have to find a way to be more active in positioning their assets to capture appropriate levels of income and achieve some growth. I usually recommend individual dividend-paying stocks as a core program and low-cost index funds on the fringe.

Second, this is not easy work. Since Street.com readers are generally independent-thinking investors, I say this reluctantly, but with conviction: If you cannot do this on your own, find a registered investment adviser who can help you execute. Nothing wrong using a fee-only adviser to put a plan together for you then coach you along the way.

Third, the underlying theme for this group of investors, especially for the equity portion of their portfolios, should be to invest in areas that have lots of hard assets, make necessary items, i.e. non-discretionary, have some kind of monopolistic character and pay above-average current income.

To some degree, the portfolio should mirror the areas where retirees and near-retirees are spending their own money: energy, food, water, health care.

Fourth, depending on your risk tolerance, Treasury securities can be considered, but only for risk reduction, not current income.

At the time of publication the author's clients may own some or all of the securities mentioned.

This article was written by an independent contributor, separate from TheStreet's regular news coverage.

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