Dividend Increase - T, EIFZF

I'm very pleased to see every single one of my dividend stocks increased payouts in 2012.  AT&T and Exchange Income Corp. were the remaining companies I was waiting on.

AT&T:
This is the third increase since I became an owner of the telecom giant.  No surprises here, the quarterly dividend of $.44 was raised to $.45.  This increase of 2.27% roughly matches inflation, no complaints from me.  T is in my portfolio for its huge yield with inflation protection.  It is performing as intended.  The new and improved payment won't hit my account till 2013 but will be the 29th straight year of increases.

Exchange Income Corporation:
Believe it or not I had to pay a $57.95 commission to buy shares of this company!  That is the fee fidelity used to charge to invest in pink sheet foreign stocks.  Pretty crazy!  If I wanted to buy or sell EIFZF now the fees have been reduced to a reasonable $7.95.  Even with the ridiculous commission I paid, the YOC on this one is over 8% now.

I cannot and do not recommend this company to anybody.  This one is the oddball stock in my portfolio.  It's a Canadian company that operates regional airlines & helicopter services, plus they manufacture cell phone towers, pressure washers, custom tanks/trailers, and other specialized products.  Yeah sometimes I wonder why I even own this!  Then the dividend rolls in every month and my memory is refreshed.

EIFZF increased its monthly dividend from $.135 to $.14 (Canadian) which is a 3.70% boost.  Exchange Income acquires companies in the transportation & manufacturing industries, integrates them under the EIF umbrella, then handsomely rewards loyal shareholders with massive monthly dividends.  It's growing pretty fast and has benefited from a contract to manufacture cell towers for AT&T.  I think I got lucky with this company, it's been one of my best performers.