Want Decades of Passive Income? 3 Stocks to Buy Now and Hold Forever.

Do you need reliable investment income in the near and distant future? Dividend stocks are the way to go. If you pick the right ones, not only will they provide the cash flow you're looking for, but their dividend payments will at least keep pace with inflation (if not exceed it).

To this end, here's a closer look at three top dividend stocks you can feel good about buying today and holding onto forever.

Automatic Data Processing

You probably know Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ: ADP) as a payroll processor, which -- given the ever-growing functionality of artificial intelligence (AI) -- seems like a vulnerability. That's far from all that ADP is anymore though. Its personnel management offerings ranging from benefits administration, employee time card solutions, and recruitment (and more) all require too much hands-on involvement from real people to punt this work to an AI platform. Indeed, Automatic Data Processing is embracing the power of AI specifically with human resources (HR) personnel in mind.

Perhaps of more interest to income-minded investors, ADP recently raised its per-share payment for the 51st consecutive year.

Digital Realty Trust

Digital Realty Trust (NYSE: DLR) doesn't yet have this sort of dividend-growth track record, but it certainly could at some point in the future.

In simplest terms, this company leases out third-party access to its 300+ data centers located all over the world. Since setting up your own data center is time consuming as well as expensive (particularly for smaller outfits), it often makes more fiscal sense to rent access to this infrastructure from a name like Digital Realty. This of course means recurring cash flow, which is ideal for any dividend-paying company.

Image source: Getty Images.

Digital Realty Trust arguably has something of an edge even among its peers. See, it's structured as a real estate investment trust, or REIT. That just means as long as the majority of its rent profit is passed along to shareholders, then it isn't also first taxed at the corporate level. This ultimately means more of DLR's earnings make their way into shareholders' pockets.

Newcomers will be stepping in while this REIT's forward-looking yield stands at 2.7%,

NextEra Energy

Finally, add utility company NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE) to your list of income stocks to buy and hold forever for reliable passive income.

This is the ideal business for supporting continued dividend payments for the obvious reason. That is, whereas consumers may postpone the purchase of a new car or skip a vacation, they're going to make sure they keep their lights turned on regardless of the cost. The ongoing expansion of the power-hungry AI data centers also bodes well for utility stocks.

The kicker: While at first blush, NextEra Energy doesn't look too terribly different from any other utility outfit, this company is well prepared for the inevitable future. The bulk of its investments in future power-production capacity are being made in renewables like solar, wind, and nuclear, along with natural gas. While low-carbon and no-carbon energy aren't exactly a sweeping regulatory requirement just yet, NextEra is preparing now for what will almost certainly be mandated at some point in the foreseeable future.

The stock's currently yielding 2.7%, by the way, based on a dividend that's now been raised every year for 31 consecutive years.

James Brumley has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Digital Realty Trust and NextEra Energy. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.