We are adding a new dividend stock to our database of nearly 1600 dividend-paying stocks, on news that Hudson Pacific Properties ( HPP ) has initiated a dividend payout. Hudson Pacific Properties ( HPP ) – This company operates as an integrated real estate company. It focuses on the ownership, operation, and acquisition of office properties primarily in Northern and Southern California, including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and the East Bay. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .

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New Dividend Stock Added to Database (HPP)

A growing trend among older Americans is taking shape: the probability of retiring at age 65 has dropped substantially. More Americans are also coming out of retirement than in the past, while many people planning to work past traditional retirement age cite the need for more money and health insurance benefits as the most important reason for doing so. The financial benefits of delaying retirement are obvious, but smarter financial decisions made earlier in life can help prevent the need for a later retirement. The federal government will probably soon push the retirement age past 65 in the near future, and additional age limits will likely follow. Washington will use the fact that people are living longer to justify the move, but unfortunately for those in lower tax brackets, Social Security may eventually be phased out. People in lower income brackets tend to not see doctors as often and don’t eat as healthy as wealthier folks, so this potential change could negatively affect several million Americans as we move forward. Regardless of the tax bracket you are in, the key is to put money to work in quality dividend-paying stocks and not be at the mercy of having the government tell you when you are able to enjoy your later years. Paul Rubillo is the founder and CEO of Dividend.com. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .

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Working Past 65 is Becoming the Norm

Membership warehouse operator Costco Wholesale Corporation ( COST ) on Wednesday caught a big upgrade from analysts at Goldman Sachs. The firm boosted its rating on COST from “Neutral” to “Buy,” and raised its price target from $62 to $68. That new target suggests a potential 16% upside to the stock’s Tuesday closing price of $58.64. The analyst also raised its full-year 2011 EPS estimate from $3.23 to $3.30 per share, and 2012 estimate from $3.52 to $3.67 per share. Goldman cited the following factors for the upgrade: Improving fundamentals which will drive EPS upside, A potential catalyst on horizon in the form of a 2011 membership fee hike, and An attractive valuation of 7.8x EV/EBITDA. Costco shares rose 81 cents, or +1.4%, in premarket trading Wednesday. The Bottom Line We had removed shares of COST from our “recommended” list Sept.22, 2008,when the stock traded at $66.09. The company has a dividend yield of 1.40%, based on last night’s closing stock price of $58.64. The stock has technical support in the $54-$55 price area. If the shares can firm up, we see overhead resistance around the $61-$62 price levels. We would remain on the sidelines for now. Costco Wholesale Corporation ( COST ) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .

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Costco Upgraded to “Buy” at Goldman Sachs; Positive Catalysts Coming (COST)

Oilfield services giant Halliburton Company ( HAL ) on Wednesday saw its coverage resumed with an “Outperform” rating by analysts at Wells Fargo. The firm also set a $35 to $37 valuation range on HAL, which represents an expected 17% to 24% upside to the stock’s Tuesday closing price of $29.84. A Wells analyst commented, “We view HAL as a solid #2 Oilfield Service company that is well run, well capitalized, and could provide significant upside earnings surprises over the next few quarters. We think HAL is attractively valued following a selloff of the group.” Halliburton shares were mostly flat in premarket trading Wednesday. The Bottom Line We had removed Halliburton from our “recommended” list July 22, 2008 when the shares were trading at $48.91. The company has a dividend yield of 1.21%, based on last night’s closing stock price of $29.84. The stock has technical support in the $26 price area. If the shares can firm up, we see overhead resistance around the $32-$34 price levels. We would remain on the sidelines for now. Halliburton Company ( HAL ) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .

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Halliburton Restarted as an “Outperform” at Wells Fargo (HAL)

We don’t hear much about gap insurance, but it is a common expense for people that finance a car. Gap insurance covers the gap, or difference, between your car’s actual value and what you still owe on it, in the event it is stolen or totaled in an accident. Most lease contracts already include GAP coverage, but check to be sure it’s in the lease agreement. If you are considering purchasing gap insurance from the dealer, you may want to consider checking with your existing auto insurance policy to see if you are already covered. If not, you still may actually get a better deal from your auto insurance carrier anyway. Dealers will usually offer car gap insurance at the time of your purchase, often rolling it into your monthly car payment. However, the cost is almost always higher than if you obtained the coverage on your own. Also, be sure to understand what’s covered and excluded in your policy. I personally hate the process of going to the dealer to buy a car, but I know many enjoy the endless time spent going gaga over the different styles and options available these days. If only people gave their finances this sort of attention, then they wouldn’t be worrying about they’re going to afford the monthly payments after bringing that new car home. Paul Rubillo is the founder and CEO of Dividend.com. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend

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Paul’s Tips on Car GAP Insurance

Multifamily dwellings REIT AvalonBay Communities, Inc. ( AVB ) on Tuesday saw its shares downgraded by analysts at KBW Research as part of a valuation call. The firm cut its rating on AVB from “Outperform” to “Market Perform” with a new $117 price target. That target represents a small expected upside of 6% to the stock’s Friday closing price of $110.39. A KBW analyst commented, “The stock is up approximately 20% since mid-May and we think it’s time for investors to take some profits. While we view AVB as a core holding and expect above-average core growth over the next couple years, AVB’s full valuation drives our downgrade. New PT is $117, pointing to a 9% potential return; NAV and estimates remain unchanged for now.” AvalonBay shares were mostly flat in premarket trading Tuesday. The Bottom Line Shares of AVB have a 3.23% dividend yield, based on Friday’s closing stock price of $110.39. The stock has technical support in the $100 price area. If the shares can firm up, we see overhead resistance around the $120 price level. We would remain on the sidelines for now. AvalonBay Communities, Inc. ( AVB ) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars. Be sure

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AvalonBay Communities Downgraded at KBW Research (AVB)

Oilfield services giant Schlumberger Limited ( SLB ) on Tuesday saw its coverage re-initiated with a “Buy” rating by analysts at Goldman Sachs. The firm also set a $68 price target on SLB shares, which represents an expected upside of 18.5% from the stock’s Friday closing price of $57.37. Goldman noted that Schlumberger has fallen out of favor as of late, but will likely gain market share on the international scene. The analyst also noted SLB will soon realize savings from restructuring plans, noting it could regain the premium multiple it enjoyed during the big 2006-2008 upcycle. Schlumberger shares fell 27 cemts, or -0.5%, in premarket trading Tuesday. The Bottom Line We have avoided the shares of SLB since we began our early June 2008 coverage, when the stock was trading at $101.94. The company has a 1.46% dividend yield, based on Friday’s closing stock price of $57.37. The stock has technical support in the $52-$53 price area. If the shares can continue their recent ascent, we see overhead resistance around the $60-$63 price levels. We would remain on the sidelines for now. Schlumberger Limited ( SLB ) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .

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Goldman Sachs Restarts Schlumberger as a “Buy” (SLB)

Integrated oil company Occidental Petroleum Corporation ( OXY ) on Tuesday saw its coverage initiated with a “Buy” rating by analysts at Susquehanna. The firm also set a $98 price target on OXY shares, which represents an expected 25% upside to the stock’s Friday closing price of $78.32. A Susquehanna analyst commented, “After a few years as active spectators on the sidelines, we launch coverage of OXY, expecting to cover the last phase of growth and domestic oil deal flow at OXY before plausible medium term sale of the company by the CEO-apparent Steve Chazen, replacing outgoing Ray Irani as OXY’s third CEO in the last 50 years. We are Positive on OXY with a $98 one-year price target, a “must-own” name for large-cap oil exposure, in our view, attracted by quality of assets and operations. Our $98 target reflects long run $70 oil and $4.50 gas prices and a 6.8x EBITDA multiple, and a robust tranche of unproved reserves support, sourced from both existing properties and potential deal flow.” Occidental Petroleum shares were mostly flat in premarket trading Tuesday. The Bottom Line We have avoided shares of OXY since our early June, 2008 coverage began, when the stock was trading at $92.70. The company has a 1.94% dividend yield, based on Friday’s closing stock price of $78.32. The stock has technical support in the $73-$75 price area. If the shares can firm up, we see overhead resistance around the $82-$85 price levels. We would remain on the sidelines for now. Occidental Petroleum Corporation ( OXY ) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as

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Occidental Petroleum Started as a “Buy” at Susquehanna (OXY)

For a decent amount of people, buying a car can be tons of fun from the test drives to the smell of the new car experience. But the one part that most dread is the hassle of the car salesman’s pitch on the expensive extras that most people really don’t need. Fabric protection is one of the classic features that salesmen try to push to families with little kids. It’s supposedly a “must-have,” as the salesperson will look to the mom and dad shaking his head trying to convince the family it’s worth it. If you are buying fabric protection because you have kids, you are likely buying the wrong vehicle — kids will mess up almost every car you buy (go to the beach or do anything adventurous outdoors, or simply buy some McDonald’s drive-thru and you’ll see what I mean). Another popular extra is rust-proofing, which is actually a decent idea if you are planning to drive along the beach. However, salt and sand from the roads in the winter will not be much of an issue unless you plan to hold the vehicle for a long time. Lastly, car warranties are mostly a waste of money, unless you are buying a car that tends to have mechanical issues. Do your homework and check out some of the latest car buyers’ guides to see how the reliability ratings are for the vehicles you are interested in. Most people don’t hold on to their cars long enough to get their bang for the buck. Instead, use the money you would have spent on these items to invest into income-producing dividend-paying stocks! Paul Rubillo is the founder and CEO of Dividend.com. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .

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Paul’s Thoughts on Car Shopping Extras

Depending on where you live, you may be in a good situation to save some money if you can unite some of your neighbors to use a similar service for common expenses. One of the first things that comes to mind is taking care of the lawn. You’d be surprised at how much you can save by having several neighbors decide to use the same landscaping service. Often times, a services-related business would like to consolidate accounts in clusters, so as to cut back on travel time lost. This really applies to many outside needs. Contractors for interior work are a bit different, unless you have neighbors that decide they all want to have their homes painted or need renovation work. If you pool your negotiating power, you can bid out the work from a position of strength. Plus, with the real estate build-out days likely behind us for a while, construction and other home-related work activities have slowed to a crawl. Of course, the drawback with teaming up your neighbors is that you are relying on them to be good customers as well. The concept makes sense financially, but you have to make sure the personalities will be able to mesh when decision time comes to choosing the service/companies you will be working with. One last note, you may want to decide on

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Saving Money With Your Neighbors

PC and printer maker Hewlett-Packard Company ( HPQ ) on Thursday caught an upgrade from analysts at JMP Securities. The firm boosted its rating on HPQ from “Market Perform” to “Outperform.” JMP also set a $50 price target on H-P shares, which represents a potential 28% upside to the stock’s Wednesday closing price of $39.21. Hewlett-Packard shares rose 30 cents, or +0.8%, in premarket trading Thursday. The Bottom Line We had removed shares of HPQ from our recommended list back on Oct.1, 2009, when the stock was trading at $47.21. The company has a .82% dividend yield, based on last night’s closing stock price of $39.21. The stock has technical support in the $35 price area. If the shares can firm up, we see overhead resistance around the $44-$46 price levels. We would remain on the sidelines for now. Hewlett-Packard Company ( HPQ ) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .

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Hewlett-Packard Upgraded to “Outperform” at JMP Securities (HPQ)

Analysts at KBW Research on Thursday started coverage on credit ratings agency Moody’s Corporation ( MCO ) with a neautral “Market Perform” rating. The firm also set a $25 price target on the stock, which represents an expected 14% upside to its Wednesday closing price of $21.95. A KBW analyst commented, “We believe that Moody’s will continue to be an important player in U.S. and international capital markets. While its reputation has been tarnished by the financial crisis and regulatory agencies have focused on ways to constrain its influence, alternatives remain limited and its earnings power remains strong. We do believe that concerns regarding legal and regulatory issues will continue to pressure the stock.” Moody’s shares rose 10 cents, or +0.5%, in premarket trading Thursday. The Bottom Line We have avoided shares of MCO since our early June 2008 coverage began, when the stock was trading at $39.13. The company has a dividend yield of 1.91%, based on last night’s closing stock price of $21.95. The stock has technical support in the $18 price area. If the shares can rebound, we see overhead resistance around the $24 price level. We would remain on the sidelines for now. Moody’s Corporation ( MCO ) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.0 out of 5 stars. Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks , as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here .

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KBW Research Initiates Coverage on Moody’s as a “Market Perform” (MCO)