A Top Performer

Since 2001, Robert Shearer has managed the BlackRock Equity Dividend Fund (MDDVX), a $14.2 billion fund started in 1988. In the past decade, the fund is up 85 percent, versus the 31 percent total return of the S&P 500. Its 10-year performance beats 98 percent of funds in its category, according to fund research company Morningstar, which gives the fund its highest rating of five stars.

Shearer and co-manager Kathleen Anderson "look for companies that consistently grow their earnings and dividends every year," he says. The fund has performed best in tough environments like 2007 and 2008. It climbed 14.8 percent in 2007, almost triple the S&P 500's 5.5 percent total return.