[drblastoff]

Studies have shown (take this with a grain of salt because I heard this from a podcast), that dividend stocks and non-dividend stocks have roughly equal returns in the end, with dividend stocks faring slightly worse.

This is because dividend stocks tend to appreciate less.

So taking $X in dividends every six months ends up being the same as selling $X of your portfolio every six months in the end.

[KMag]

Except that there are often different tax rates between capital gains and dividends. Even if there weren't tax rate differences, reinvesting dividends effectively compounds the tax rate annually, whereas the capital gains tax is a simple rate the year you realize the gain.

Though, in a tax-free retirement account, it's moot.