Just looked at the S&P 500 average dividend yield and honestly, 1.1% is pretty weak if you're actually trying to live off dividends. You can definitely do better, and I found two solid picks worth considering right now.

Realty Income and General Mills both offer way higher yields, but they're totally different animals. Let me break down why I'm looking at both.

Realty Income (ticker O) is basically the boring, reliable option. It's the biggest net-lease REIT out there, which means it owns a ton of properties and lets tenants handle most of the operating costs. The company's got over 15,500 properties spread across the U.S. and Europe, so even though individual properties could be risky, the diversification actually makes it pretty safe overall. Their balance sheet is investment-grade rated, and here's the kicker - they've bumped up their monthly dividend for 30 years straight. That's the kind of consistency you want if dividends are actually funding your lifestyle. Right now it's sitting at a 4.9% yield, which is solid.

General Mills is different. The yield is actually higher at around 5%, which is near the top of what we've seen from this company historically. That's usually a warning sign - when yields get that high, it often means the stock price has fallen because things are a bit rough. And yeah, 2026 is shaping up to be an investment year for them, with some weaker financial results on the horizon. Sales dropped 7% in their recent quarter, though organic sales were only down 1% when you strip out the dispositions. They're selling off some assets, which is just what food companies do to stay relevant as consumer habits shift. The payout ratio sits around 55%, which is reasonable, and they've been paying dividends for 127 years, so there's real history here.

So here's my thinking: if you want the safest high-dividend stock with minimal risk, Realty Income is the no-brainer. If you've got a higher risk tolerance and believe General Mills can work through this transition period, that 5% yield is pretty attractive. Either way, you're looking at yields that absolutely crush what you'd get from a standard S&P 500 index fund. The question is really just how much uncertainty you're comfortable with.