2 Safety-First Stocks to Own for 10 More Years

If you want to own dividend stocks for 10 years, you want boring in the best way. “Ultra-safe” means the business keeps collecting cash even when consumers pull back, and markets panic. It also means it can fund maintenance, growth, and dividends without begging lenders for help at the worst moment. You should stay skeptical, as safety depends on price and on the rules of the game. But the right dividend payers can turn a choppy decade into a steady stream of deposits, and that consistency can feel priceless. So, let’s look at two that work for investors today.

H

Hydro One (TSX: H) suits that job as it runs a regulated electricity network in Ontario. People don’t cancel electricity when money feels tight. It earns a set return on its assets, approved by the regulator, and it invests steadily to expand and modernize the grid. That gives it a simple story: build, earn, repeat. It also benefits from population growth, electrification, and new industrial demand that needs reliable power.

This dividend stock rarely tries to impress, and that can protect investors from whiplash. Over the past year, it climbed meaningfully, and it spent much of late 2025 near its highs. It can wobble when bond yields jump, as investors compare utility dividends to safer interest income. When yields settle, it often recovers as investors rotate back toward stability. That pattern can work in your favour when you add steadily and reinvest it.

The latest quarter showed why it stays on so many “sleep well” lists. In the third quarter of 2025, it earned $0.70 per share. It now offers a dividend yield at 2.5 % as well, with shares rising 23% in the last year alone. Over the next decade, the upside likely comes from steady investment and regulated rate-base growth, not a sudden surge. The risks look real but manageable. Regulators can tighten allowed returns, storms can lift costs, and higher interest rates can weigh on valuation even if day-to-day operations stay solid.

BIP.UN

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (TSX: BIP.UN) approaches safety from the opposite angle. It owns a mix of essential assets across utilities, transport, energy, and data infrastructure. That breadth matters because one weak segment rarely sinks the whole enterprise. Many contracts run long and include inflation protection, which can help keep cash flow rising when costs rise. Global demand for connectivity and logistics also keeps its assets relevant as the economy changes.

Recent performance has looked more restrained than the business quality might suggest. The units have moved up and down with the interest-rate narrative, as infrastructure relies on debt and investors price it against bonds. When rates ease, the cost of capital can fall, and asset values can look more attractive. When rates rise, sentiment can sour fast. That volatility doesn’t always reflect operating reality, and investors can use it to build positions patiently.

The earnings numbers show a business that still grows its cash engine. In the third quarter of 2025, it generated cash earnings of $0.83 per unit. The dividend now sits at 5%, trading at just about 50 times earnings. Management pointed to an expanding opportunity set tied to artificial intelligence (AI)-driven infrastructure needs going into 2026, which hints at a stronger runway than many “safe” income picks. The risks come from leverage, big project timing, and refinancing risk if credit tightens at the wrong time.

Bottom line

Put H and BIP.UN together and you get two flavours of ultra-safe income. Hydro One offers regulated stability and predictable growth that can keep dividends dependable through a cycle. Brookfield Infrastructure offers a richer yield and more upside, backed by essential assets and long contracts. Right now, here’s what investors could bring in with a $7,000 investment.

Neither stock avoids risk, so you still need diversification and a long view. If you buy with patience and hold through the boring stretches, this pair can make the next decade feel a lot less stressful.