Dividend growth investing builds long-term wealth for retirement by focusing on companies that consistently increase payouts. These stocks provide rising income and often deliver superior total returns through compounding. Research from Hartford Funds, using Ned Davis Research data from 1973 to 2025, shows companies that grew or initiated dividends in the S&P 500 achieved higher average annual returns with lower volatility than non-payers or cutters. Over long periods, dividend growers and initiators outperformed the equal-weighted S&P 500 and demonstrated resilience in market declines.