Two common goals in retirement are to generate safe investment income and preserve capital over the long-term. Certain high-dividend stocks can help accomplish both objectives as part of a diversified income portfolio. However, it's important to focus on more than just yield: You need quality, and you need it at the right price.

The nine dividend stocks that will be discussed today offer yields as high as 7%, but they also maintain relatively conservative payout ratios and balance sheets to help secure their dividends. They also have lengthy track records of reliably making payouts and appear to have numerous opportunities for long-term dividend growth.

Importantly, these dividend stocks appear to be trading at reasonable prices for income investors. Each stock reviewed here offers a "timely" yield, meaning a dividend yield that is meaningfully above its five-year average.

Buying these companies when their yields are relatively high compared to their historical trading range can be a reasonable way to reduce valuation risk and maximize the amount of income an investment generates. The key is to have confidence that the company's payout remains safe and its long-term growth outlook is unchanged.

Here is a closer look at nine dividend stocks that meet this set of criteria and offer timely yields for retirement.

Ventas

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Market value: $17.5 billion

Dividend yield: 6.5%

Five-year average yield: 4.6%

One of the biggest investment themes over the next decade is America's growing senior population. According to the Pew Research Center, 10,000 boomers are turning Medicare-eligible each day, and the Centers