Been doing some research on passive income stocks lately, and I wanted to share three names that keep popping up on dividend investor radars right now.

First up is Enterprise Products Partners. This is basically the backbone of North American energy infrastructure - they move oil and gas around, and people need that regardless of price cycles. The distribution yield sits at 6%, which is pretty wild compared to the S&P 500's measly 1.1%. But here's the catch: growth is slow. You're buying this for the yield, period. Plus it's structured as an MLP, which means K-1 forms at tax time and complications if you hold it in retirement accounts. Not ideal for casual investors, but if you know what you're doing, the passive income from this stock can be solid.

Then there's Realty Income. This one owns over 15,500 properties across North America and Europe, mostly retail. They've been growing their dividend for 30 straight years, and the current yield is 4.8%. The diversification is impressive - they're even getting into casinos and asset management now. The downside? About 80% of their rent comes from retail, so economic sensitivity is real. And like Enterprise, growth is going to be modest. If you're looking for passive income stocks with a proven track record, this is probably one of the safest bets.

General Mills is the wild card. A massive packaged food company with iconic brands, and they've paid dividends for 127 years. The yield is 5.4%, which is attractive. But the company is struggling right now. Consumers want healthier food, budgets are tight, and management warned that 2026 is going to be an investment year. The stock got hammered because of this, which is why the yield looks so juicy. If they pull off a turnaround like they have before, you're looking at potential capital appreciation plus that hefty dividend.

So here's the reality: all three of these passive income stocks come with trade-offs. Enterprise requires tax sophistication. Realty Income is slow-growth despite its size. General Mills is facing headwinds. But if you're genuinely looking to build passive income in 2026, these are worth digging into. Realty Income and Enterprise feel safer for conservative income investors, while General Mills is more of a turnaround play if you can stomach the near-term volatility.