New Delhi, Sept. 2 -- Investors seeking regular income have traditionally turned to bank deposits, bonds and dividend-paying stocks. But the options have widened, with listed dividend stocks, Real Estate Investment Trusts (Reits) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) offering different routes to income.

A high payout can look attractive, but the headline yield does not tell the whole story. Investors need to ask where the cash comes from, how reliable it is, whether it can grow and what happens to the original investment.

Dividend-paying shares can provide income as well as potential capital appreciation. But a high dividend yield may simply reflect a falling share price or an unusually large one-time dividend.

Sustainable divi...