Want Decades of Passive Income? Buy This Index Fund and Hold It Forever
Diversification and balance can make a big difference in an ETF's long-term performance, too.

Need reliable investment income? Dividend stocks are your obvious choice. And there are certainly plenty to choose from.
If you're also looking for a simpler option that's just as fruitful as owning a handful of individual dividend payers, however, the obvious choice then becomes an exchange-traded fund, or ETF. And one particular fund fits the bill perfectly if you're looking for a lifetime of passive dividend income.
The ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats® ETF (NYSEMKT: NOBL) is a frequent favorite, and understandably so -- this ETF only holds stocks that have raised their annual dividend payment for at least 25 consecutive years. (The term Dividend Aristocrats® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC.) At that point, odds are good they'll be able to continue raising their full-year payouts.