The longest bull market in history has blown up in spectacular fashion, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic that has shut economic activity all around the world. As a result, investors have been sent scrambling to find the safest dividend stocks to buy.

Stocks are reeling, interest rates are plumbing the depths and the specter of defaults and bankruptcies are on the horizon. Income investors now more than ever need to be able to trust their dividend stocks. Hefty yields do no good if a company cuts or suspends its payout. By the same token, even the slimmest yield is immensely valuable if there's little to no chance it will come under duress.

In short, income investors need super safe dividend stocks right now, and we know some good ways to find them.

One option is to monitor the DIVCON system from exchange-traded fund provider Reality Shares. DIVCON's methodology uses a five-tier rating to provide a snapshot of companies' dividend health, where DIVCON 5 indicates the highest probability for a dividend increase, and DIVCON 1 the highest probability for a dividend cut. And within each of these ratings is a composite score determined by cash flow, earnings, stock buybacks and other factors.

These are 15 of the safest dividend stocks to buy right now. Each stock has not only achieved a DIVCON 5 score, but a composite score within the top 10% of all stocks that DIVCON evaluated. This makes them the crème de la crème of dividend safety - and more likely to keep the dividend increases coming going forward.

Home Depot

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Coronavirus could mean deep trouble for retailers forced to lock their doors. Happily for investors in Home Depot (, $181.31), the nation's largest home improvement chain has been deemed an essential business. Not only are its stores open, but they're doing brisk