January 1 is months away, yet I’m already tired of the Y2K-like headlines and sound bites warning investors to sell out of dividend paying stocks prior to their supposed implosion when the impending fiscal cliff may become a reality. This sense of doom is driven by the fear that dividends will become taxable at much higher rates. It is as if these once beloved holdings have suddenly lost all the characteristics that make them attractive, solid companies and good investments. Will higher taxes on their dividends cause these investments to be toxic?  Continue reading…