The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that if all the portents are right, 2024 should be a good year for dividend stocks. Guest columnist Gordon Pape writes that if you are confident in your stock-picking abilities, you could take advantage of shifting economic fortunes by building your own dividend portfolio. He says make sure it is properly diversified across all the key sectors: financials, utilities, telcos, property and pipelines. There are also good dividend payers in areas you would not normally consider. Examples are Russel Metals, with a dividend yield of 3.6 per cent, and Aecon, which yields 5.4 per cent. Another possibility is to invest in dividend exchange-traded funds. There are dozens of them in Canada. The S&P/TSX Dividend Aristocrats Index ETF (CDZ) is one that should be considered. It was recommended in Mr. Pape's Income Investor in 2011. This ETF invests in a portfolio of large-cap stocks that have increased dividends annually for at least five consecutive years. No position is larger than 3.25 per cent, so it is a well-balanced portfolio. Holdings include Aecon, Chartwell Retirement, Great West Lifeco, CIBC and Power Corp. of Canada. The fund gained 9.26 per cent in 2023.