Since 2011, I have communicated to you my belief that stocks with high dividends and low standard deviations relative to the stock market represent a solid opportunity for income generation with historically less risk than other investment vehicles.  Since then, volatility has continued to rise as uncertainty has flowed from all corners of the globe, leaving investors with few strong growth opportunities.

Over the past year, the prospects of budget cuts in the defense sector have risen in response to the growing national debt level.  However, the exact amount of the cuts is uncertain.  This uncertainty has weighed on stocks in the defense sector.  Could this now be a time to buy these attractive stocks?

U.S. banks face a variety of problems: slow economic growth that weakens loan demand, low interest rates that pressure investment returns, tighter regulation that adds to increasing costs, and rising social and political movements against the sector.  The industry faces significant headwinds in the near-to mid-term in this new reality.  Despite these issues financial sector stocks have risen over 13 percent since the start of the year.   Is this rally sustainable?  Here are the main topics that investors need to consider.