"Chinese markets have been absolutely soaring this year," says long-standing income expert Carla Pasternak.

In her High Yield Investing advisory, she suggests, "The China Fund (NYSE: CHN) - ranked in the top 1% of funds in the Pacific/Asia ex-Japan category for the latest ten-year period -- should be an excellent way to play this growth story over the long term."

"China's massive stimulus spending and interest rate reductions have succeeded in igniting domestic demand.

"We think that junk bonds -- bonds rated BB+ or lower by S&P or Ba1 or below by Moody's -- are worth considering as part of a diversified income portfolio." says Carla Pasternak.

In her High Yield Investing, she asks, "If you agree with us that one's person's junk may turn out to be your treasure, how do you invest?" She answers by offers a pair of junk bond fund ideas.

"SPDR Barclays Capital High Yield Bond ETF (NYSE: JNK) has a $2.2 billion portfolio of 140 junk bonds. Its holds junk bonds in only three sectors: industrials (75.8%), utilities (12.16%) and financials (8.72%).

"It pays a monthly distribution comprised entirely of earnings. JNK is best held in a tax-advantaged account as distributions are taxed at your marginal income tax rate.

"For income investors, China is one of the hardest places on the planet to find high yields," says income specialist Carla Pasternak.

In her High Yield Investing, she suggests, "However, we have found a trio of China funds that do offer a dividend yield along with tremendous long-term potential." Here, she looks at two favorites: Oberweis China Opportunities (OBCHX) and Matthews China (MCHFX).

Pasternak explains, "I think we're in the early stages of China's economic boom, and I believe the country can continue to grow at a high single-digit pace for the next decade; if that happens, then plenty of Chinese companies will provide handsome returns for their shareholders.

"Following last year's dismal market performance, investors are looking for something they can be sure of in the year ahead; and for income investors, that means finding a safe and rewarding dividend yield," says Carla Pasternak.

In her High Yield Investing, she offers a fascinating review to find the "safest dividend in the Dow." Here's her assessment.

"The 30 members of Dow Jones Industrial Average represents some of the strongest names in America. So these corporate titans are a good place to start searching for the safest dividend.

"The first step in the process is not to look at the Dow at all, but to start with the 10-year Treasury note, currently yielding 3.86%.

In her top-performing Global Investing advisory, Vivian Lewis looks at a lesser-known area of the income market -- non-cumulative preferreds -- explaining these vehicles and offering some favorites.

"Over 20 years ago, Barclays Bank, which is British, invented a new vehicle for raising money in the U.S. market to enhance its capital ratios and finance its growing dollar business.

"They were called non-cumulative preferred shares and were issued at $25/share to pay dividends four times a year just as normal U.S. stocks do. The clear target for these vehicles was U.S. retail investors.

This post is part of a 12-article feature that can be read here: Today's best income ideas.

"It's time to buy Gabelli Global Gold, Natural Resources & Income Trust (NYSE: GGN) a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide a high level of current income," says Bryan Perry.

The growth and income expert -- and editor of The 25% Cash Machine -- highlights the high-yielding play on gold and natural resources.

"Back in December we sold our position in GGN for a 45% gain in two months. But at that time, I promised to jump back on board after a sharp pullback, since gold is going to be a good inflation hedge this year and could hit $1,000 per troy ounce. Well, now it is time to buy back into GGN.

This post is part of a 12-article feature that can be read here: Today's best income ideas.

"You don't have to be in the upper tax bracket to rake in higher returns from these tax-free bonds," says income expert Carla Pasternak.

In her High Yield Investing, she looks two favorite vehicles: Morgan Stanley Insured Municipal Securities (NYSE: IMS), with a tax-equivalent yield of 7.9% and Western Asset Municipal High Income Fund (NYSE: MHF), with a tax-equivalent yield of 11.1%.

This post is part of a 12-article feature that can be read here: Today's best income ideas.

"A contrarian play, CurrencyShares Australian Dollar ETF (NYSE: FXA) should benefit from any rebound in commodity and energy prices," says Carl Delfeld in The Chartwell ETF Advisor.

"The Australian dollar should also benefit from any intervention to weaken the Japanese yen, as well as from the perception that the currency is oversold.

With stock prices near decade lows and fear at generational highs, many market participants are looking for harbors in the storm -- and turning their eye from high risk growth stock opportunities to what are generally more conservative income ideas.

For those looking to broaden their holdings to include yield-generated income, we turned to a dozen leading newsletter advisors who in turn offered a wide variety of income-oriented ETF and fund favorites.

Yes, fixed income holdings have their own risks. But in general, a diversified portfolio -- balanced between stocks and bonds -- has proven a more defensive posture. In addition, the selections in this report are funds and ETFs; as such the investments themselves are diversified among many holdings.

This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

As the name implies, Dividend Superstars focuses on quality income-generating ideas. Here, Nilus Mattive looks to Patterson-UTI (NASDAQ: PTEN) as his top "contrarian" idea for 2009.

"For the Dividend Superstars Annual Forecast Issue, I screened for companies that had zero debt, single-digit P/Es, recent dividend hikes, payout ratios under 25%, a dividend coverage ratio exceeding 2.

"While it was a tall order, one company jumped to the top of my list: Patterson-UTI. As one of the biggest land-based drillers in North America, the company is highly correlated to demand and prices for that commodity.

"Recently, that hasn't been a good thing, especially because the slowing economy and tight credit has made companies less inclined to drill. The shares have gotten, well, drilled!

"But everything is cyclical. And Patterson-UTI has the financial wherewithal to weather the storm. It also has plenty of money to dole out to shareholders.

This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

"My top pick is US Cellular 8.75% Senior Notes (NYSE: UZG)," says Carla Pasternak. In her income-oriented advisory service, High-Yield Investing, she says, "The best thing about them? They are bonds, but trade like stocks."

Pasternak explains, "Their total interest payments of $2.1875 a year dished out quarterly are legal obligations, not discretionary payments like stock dividends.

"As senior notes, too, investors can rest assured that UZG's interest payments have a prior claim on the company's assets, ahead of any common or preferred share dividends, if the issuing company were to run into trouble.

"Not that I consider it likely United States Cellular (NYSE: USM), America's sixth-largest wireless firm and the name behind these bonds, is any danger.

"After reviewing financial statements and data on dozens of closed-end funds, we identified MFS Intermediate Income Trust (NYSE: MIN) as one of my top picks," says income expert Carla Pasternak.

In her High Yield Investing, she explains, "You won't find many closed-end funds with a better mix of high-quality bonds than MIN's AA+ rated portfolio." Here's her look at this fund that offers an estimated 9.8% yield.

"MFS Intermediate Income Trust holds U.S. and foreign developed government bonds; it offers a discounted share price and a steady income stream powered by healthy earnings from portfolio assets.

"And like other bond funds, it can be affected by rising interest rates, but its diverse portfolios should help steady returns.

"You won't find many closed-end funds with a better mix of high-quality bonds than MIN's AA+ rated portfolio. The fund invests in AAA-rated U.S. Treasuries and agency bonds, foreign debt of developed countries, and high-grade corporate bonds.

"Management insulates the portfolio assets from currency volatility by holding them in U.S. dollars. A low duration of 4.4 years limits sensitivity to changing interest rates. The fund also may trade derivatives and use leverage to boost returns.

"Housing starts have swooned, foreclosures have jumped and home prices saw their steepest drop in 26 years," notes income expert Carla Pasternak, who nevertheless is suggesting a real estate investment.

In her High Yield Investing she explains, "Our money-making opportunity isn't based on the housing market; rather, it's with a REIT -- Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. (NYSE: OHI).

"REITs and housing are both real estate, but that's where the likenesses begin and end. Property-holding equity REITs invest in commercial real estate. And commercial properties continue to generate steady cash flow from rental income, thanks to long-term leases.

"Above-average dividends are what allow REITs to pack a punch. These companies must distribute at least 90% of their profits to shareholders, making them especially attractive to income investors.

"Founded in 1992, Omega manages a $1.3 billion portfolio of over 200 hospitals and nursing homes in diverse locations across 28 states. The company leases the properties to established healthcare operators.

For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.

"The India Fund (NYSE: IFN) is our top speculative idea for 2008," says Carla Pasternak, editor of High Yield Investing. "As investors fret that a downturn in the US housing sector could cool global growth, the world's second-fastest growing major economy after China is forging ahead.

"India's economy is expanding at a rapid +9% clip, nearly double the latest growth rate put in by the US economy. It's no wonder India's benchmark Bombay Sensex Index is up 44% this year.

"And the future looks equally strong. Thanks in part to US firms outsourcing their customer service and data-processing jobs, India is seeing the rise of a new middle class. Estimated at some 300 million of the billion-plus population, India's middle class is mushrooming at a rate of about 20% a year.

"A growing consumer class with an insatiable appetite for everything from houses to TV sets, and the money to buy them -- the world's fastest-growing democracy appears to be in the early stages of a major bull market.

For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.

"My favorite conservative idea for 2008 is Templeton Emerging Markets Fund (NYSE: EMF), a closed-end fund that holds the vast majority of its stocks in emerging market economies," says Carla Pasternak, editor of High Yield Investing.

"About a third of its stock holdings are in Brazil and China, two of the countries popularly known as the 'BRIC' economies (the other two are Russia and India). Led by one of the legends of emerging market investing,
Mark Mobius, EMF also goes off the beaten track to find stocks in Turkey, South Korea and Thailand.

"About a third of the portfolio stocks are in the energy sector, with another 20% in the industrials materials group such as iron ore. With energy prices and industrial commodities soaring this past year, EMF has been in the right
place at the right time.

"The same can be said of the entire emerging market sector. And since the world stock market bottom in mid-August, emerging market funds have been hot, hot, hot. These funds attracted $23 billion in capital in all of 2006, but since the last week of August have drawn more than $24 billion.

"Short term, the sage advice of Peter Lynch may ring in your ears -- Beware the hottest stock in the hottest sector.
Still, EMF shares haven't kept up with the asset growth of the fund's portfolio holdings, and the fund is trading today at an attractive discount of 10% to its net worth.

"In other words, you can scoop up a dollar's worth of stock for just 90 cents. Long-term investors willing to withstand a possible short-term pullback in the fund may want to invest at this time."