A majority of dividend investors are conservative by nature. I am. I have no special trading talent, no crystal ball, nor do I have access to insider information. Therefore, I have little expectation of prospering by consistently buying low and selling high. In fact, my trading history boasted the opposite, buying high and selling low. Sadly, I realized I had invested with no real rhyme or reason, often relying on the advice of friends, brokers, and CNBC pundits, which, more often than not, failed me. I decided that if I were to continue investing in the market, I needed an investment strategy that was anchored by some logical parameter I could count on. After immersing myself in all aspects of dividend investing I found that elusive anchor, which after many fits and starts I developed into an effective long-term investment philosophy; and a variety of short-term trading strategies designed to increase my dividend yield and income. Because I have profited handsomely during this most difficult and challenging three year market, 2008 - 2011, I have chronicled the search, education and knowledge I have gained along the way, which I want to share with you in The Dividend Investor's Guide.