The highest dividend stocks in the Dow

While you will find some investors who've made their riches with high-growth technology or biotechnology stocks, the tried and true method to wealth appreciation via the stock market is through dividend-paying stocks. If you don't believe me, go talk to Warren Buffett, who's built his empire on the heels of dividend-paying stocks.

Why dividend stocks? A company willing to pay a dividend -- be it monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annualy -- is demonstrating to investors that its cash flow is strong enough, and its business model sound enough, to share a percentage of its profits with faithful investors.

Dividends are also a great buffer during recessions and volatile markets. Long-term investors tend to be attracted to steady and/or growing dividend stocks, meaning there's a potentially lower chance of volatility caused by emotional trading.

Related: The 3 Best Stocks to Invest in Biotechnology

But arguably the best aspect of dividends is the ability to reinvest them right back into the same stock. This way you can supercharge your wealth accumulation in combination with share-price appreciation, potentially even shortening the amount of time you'll need to work during your lifetime.

The highest dividend stocks in the Dow: One avenue commonly explored by income investors is the Dow Jones Industrial Average's 30 components. All 30 Dow stocks are (currently) profitable, and each is paying a dividend, ranging from 4.4% at the high end to 0.7% on the low end. Overall, though, the Dow's average dividend yield in the mid-2% range is higher than the approximate average dividend yield of 2% currently being paid by S&P 500 companies.

Five of the Dow's components could arguably be classified as high-yield dividend plays, which I'm defining as any stock yielding 3.5% or higher. The highest dividend stocks in the Dow are:

As you'll note, one relatively common aspect of most Dow components is they tend to be multinationals -- in other words, they operate all around the globe. I'd like to think that having a global market at their disposal, including high-growth emerging market countries such as China and India, as well as the entire continent of Africa, should help drive profit and dividend growth for all 30 Dow components.

Related: Netflix, Inc. Earnings This Week: Don't Overlook These Items

Not all high dividend stocks are created equal: However, the reality is that not all Dow stocks are created equal -- not even the highest dividend stocks in the Dow.

Sometimes the reason a dividend yield appears so robust has more to do with recent stock price weakness, which inflates yields, rather than substantial dividend growth.

For example, shares of Chevron (CVX) are off 28% from the 52-week high it hit last summer. Back then, and based on its current dividend payout of $4.28 per share annually ($1.07 per quarter), Chevron was yielding 3.2%. Its nearly-one-percentage-point-higher yield today is merely a result of its plummeting share price tied to the weakness in crude oil and natural gas prices.

In spite of being a Dividend Aristocrat -- a special group of more than four dozen companies to have raised their dividend in 25 or more consecutive years -- it's possible Chevron may not be able to reasonably increase its dividend in 2015.

Related: Over half of Americans have $0 in stocks

In other instances there's a concern about the longevity of a business model. Fast-food giant McDonald (MCD)'s was the progenitor of casual dining profitability for decades, but it's currently in the midst of a major turnaround after recently changing CEOs.

Among the company's laundry list of problems are its long drive-thru wait lines, a monstrously large menu that could be confusing customers, and concerns from the public that McDonald's food just isn't that good for you. Instead, consumers are opting for healthier casual choices such as Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG), which costs about the same on a per meal basis.

Finally, there are companies like Verizon (VZ, Tech30) which have a sound business model, but operate in a hypercompetitive and generally saturated wireless market that's likely going to constrain growth to the low single-digits over the long run. While it does mean that Verizon's high-yield dividend of 4.4% is probably sustainable, it also means there isn't likely to be much in the way of share price appreciation for investors.

Related: Warren Buffett Admits This Is A "Real Threat"

The high dividend stock to rule them all: Among the high dividend stocks of the Dow, the one I personally prefer is conglomerate General Electric (GE).

Does GE have risks? You bet. It's still in the process of removing risks tied to GE Capital that whacked the company during the Great Recession, and as an industrial-focused company it'll rely on U.S. economic growth in order to fuel backlog growth and pricing power. In short, recessions are going to be bad news for GE, as they are for most stocks in general.

However, General Electric has a lot working for it as well, specifically in energy and health care. Rising global energy demand, especially alternative energy demand, should (pardon the pun) fuel demand for the company's wind turbines for years to come. By a similar token, its medical diagnostics, such as MRI machines, should see a boost in demand as the Affordable Care Act lowers the number of uninsured people in this country and the nation's elderly live longer. Compound this with ample emerging market opportunities and I believe GE has a multi-decade opportunity for mid-single-digits growth.

Related: GE sells GE Capital unit for $26.5B

In GE's latest quarter it announced a mammoth backlog of $261 billion, which includes $72 billion in equipment and $189 billion in services. Both figures were up nicely year-over-year. It also generated $15.2 billion in cash flow from operating activities in 2014, which is more than enough to maintain and/or grow its payout for years to come.

If you're an income investor on the lookout for a high dividend stock in the Dow, General Electric would be my suggestion as a great starting point for your research.

Sean Williams writes for The Motley Fool. You can track his stock picks under the screen name TrackUltraLong and check him out on Twitter: @TMFUltraLong.

(New York) April 13, 2015: 10:28 AM ET

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Pandora pops on Spotify fundraising report. Here's why.

Shares of Pandora (P), which is often compared to the rival streaming music service Spotify, rose as much as 4% Monday morning following a report in Friday's Wall Street Journal about Spotify's latest cash injection.

The move is a bit curious.

Even though Pandora and Spotify are often lumped together in the broader music category, they are fairly different from each other.

Pandora is more like an online radio network, while Spotfiy lets users pick and choose specific songs and artists for playlists.

Lot of risks in Pandora's box. It's also odd that investors are assuming that good news for Spotify means that Pandora deserves a higher valuation as well.

Have investors forgotten about the fact that Pandora's stock has fallen more than 30% in the past year?

Related: What bubble? Pandora and many other social media stocks are losers

Or that there are legitimate concerns about slowing ad revenue growth? Or that royalty payments to artists, songwriters and record labels are eating into profits? Or that analysts expect Pandora to report a loss when it releases its first quarter results next week?

I guess none of this matters with the Nasdaq back above 5,000. Tech euphoria reigns supreme. Long live the unicorns!

One enthusiastic Pandora fan on StockTwits tried to argue that Pandora could be worth more than 60% above its current stock price of around $17.50 if investors valued Pandora on par with Spotify.

"Expect to see nice gains in Pandora stock price today. Spotify's valuation of $8.4 billion Friday night equates to $28.50 / share for P," wrote michael_therami.

Pandora had no specific comment about the move in its stock Monday. But a spokesperson for the company sent along remarks made by Pandora CEO Brian McAndrews at its recent investor day about the company's competitive position.

"We believe we've cracked the code on providing the best lean-back listening experience ever created," McAndrews said. "We've done this by assembling the greatest combination of music, people, and technology ever."

Investors should be careful though. One reason for Pandora's pop Monday may be the fact that so many investors are betting against it.

Related: 16 firms worth billions even though they are losing money

More than 15% of Pandora's available shares were held by short sellers as of the end of March. These traders borrow a stock and sell it with the hope of buying it back later at a lower price.

Some of them may be buying the stock on Monday to protect themselves against losses. It's a phenomenon known as a short squeeze ... and it could be just temporary.

Most rivals are much bigger. Pandora also faces a lot of competition. In the media world, there's satellite radio king Sirius XM (SIRI) and old-fashioned radio broadcaster iHeartMedia (IHRT) .. the company formerly known as Clear Channel.

Then there are tech giants Apple (AAPL, Tech30) (which owns Beats in addition to iTunes) and Google (GOOGL, Tech30), which recently acquired streaming app Songza and also has its own Google Play service. And YouTube, of course.

Amazon (AMZN, Tech30) also unveiled its own music service for Prime members last year.

Finally, you have Spotfiy and the music industry's newest streaming service Tidal. Tidal is backed by Jay-Z and has been endorsed by many well-known musical artists.

To Pandora's credit though, it's had to deal with tough competition for many years now. And the company is still around.

It's hard to imagine Pandora going away completely. The company had 81.5 million active listeners as of the end of 2014.

Takeover rumors haven't gone away. That's not something to sneeze at ... and it's probably the main reason why the company is constantly mentioned as a possible takeover target. Pandora shares surged in mid-March on vague merger rumors.

Over the past few years, Pandora has been cited as a possible fit for Apple, Amazon, Google and Yahoo (YHOO, Tech30).

So even though it may be silly to buy Pandora's stock today just because of Spotify hype, it may be equally silly to write a funeral dirge for the company as well.

If you're looking for a good theme song for Pandora, check out the Gloria Gaynor station: "I Will Survive."

Related: Spotfiy CEO sees bright side to Taylor Swift breakup

Related: Amazon launches Prime streaming music service

Related: Clear Channel changes name to iHeartMedia

CNNMoney (New York) April 13, 2015: 11:49 AM ET

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Nearly 90 percent of Americans have health coverage

A poll by Gallup found that the uninsured rate among U.S adults declined to 11.9% in the first quarter, down one percentage point from the end of last year and an improvement from the 18% without insurance in the fall of 2013, when the Americans were first were able to sign up for coverage at state and federal exchanges.

This is the lowest percentage of Americans without coverage since Gallup started tracking the figure in 2008. Those without coverage was just under 15% at that time, then remained in the range of 15% to 18% before it started declining sharply two years ago. The law requiring most Americans to have coverage or pay a penalty took effect at the start of 2014.

"An improving economy and a falling unemployment rate may also have accelerated the steep drop in the percentage of uninsured over the past year," said the Gallup report. "However, the uninsured rate is significantly lower than it was in early 2008, before the depths of the economic recession, suggesting that the recent decline is due to more than just an improving economy."

Related: Five ways Obamacare has helped Americans

Those making less than $36,000 a year have seen the most significant rate of improvement. Though 22% still do not have coverage, that's down from 30.7% at the end of 2013.

Those 26 to 34 years old have also seen the most improvement of any age group, but again, more than 20% still lack coverage. About 98% of those age 65 and older have coverage, basically unchanged from two years ago, as almost all of them qualify for Medicare.

Related: Obamacare's second round attracts more Americans

And far more minority adults still are without coverage, as about 13% of of blacks and 30% of Hispanics don't have coverage. But once again, they've seen greater improvement in their rates of coverage than have whites.

CNNMoney (New York) April 13, 2015: 8:27 AM ET

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Saudi Arabia boosts military spending to record level

Saudi Arabia increased its military spending by 17% in 2014.

That was the biggest increase among the world's top defense spenders, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

The dramatic increase reflects the volatile security situation in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia has been leading a military campaign against Shiite rebels in neighboring Yemen in recent weeks.

With high oil prices filling its coffers, Saudi Arabia spent $80.8 billion on its military last year -- the fourth highest total in the world. That represents more than 10% of Saudi GDP -- a bigger share than any country other than Oman.

Global military spending was mostly flat last year, but the Middle East and much of Africa saw strong increases, said Sam Perlo-Freeman, the head of military expenditure research at the Stockholm institute.

The United States cut military spending by 6.5% in 2014 as part of a plan to reduce the budget deficit. Military spending in the U.S. has fallen by 20% since its peak in 2010, but remains 45% higher than before the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The U.S. is still the world's biggest spender by far. Its 2014 bill totaled $610 billion, nearly three times China's budget of $216 billion. That was up 9.7% from a year earlier.

Related: Russia is buying weapons - a lot of them

Russia is third on the list after the U.S. and China. It spent $84.5 billion in 2014, an increase of 8.1% in just a year.

Russia was planning for the increase even before the start of the crisis in Ukraine. Its long term military modernization plan aims to provide 70% of the armed forces with new equipment by 2020.

Moscow is aiming for further growth of 15% in 2015. The original plan was for an even bigger increase, but the government was forced to cut back after the collapse in oil prices late last year pushed the country intro recession.

The conflict in Ukraine is forcing other European countries to boost their military budgets.

Spending in eastern Europe was up 8.4% in 2014, reaching $93.9 billion. Poland and Ukraine recorded the biggest increases. The institute said military spending in eastern European has increased by 98% since 2005.

Related: What crisis? Kalashnikov business is booming

CNNMoney (London) April 13, 2015: 8:33 AM ET

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'You are all influencers': How lesbians in tech are gaining ground

"You are all influencers," she says. "You know what's going on here."

LGBT women are advancing in the tech world, but they need help finding support in such a male-dominated field.

Pittsford, founder of the group Lesbians Who Tech, will be hosting a summit in New York later this year, and set up the happy hour to crowdsource what would make the event successful.

Lesbians Who Tech, which got its start at a bar in San Francisco in 2012, has grown to include 9,000 members worldwide.

The organization is just one of many that help LGBT women connect with each other, start their own businesses and access a growing network of LGBT mentors and investors. It's a serious need, given that women in tech earn significantly less than men and are less satisfied with their jobs, according to a Glassdoor study released last year.

"When we come together, we can start thinking of some of these issues and tackling them," Pittsford said, adding that she doesn't always see LGBT issues as part of the bigger conversation about diversity in Silicon Valley.

"We all know there are too few women in tech. Parse that down to lesbians in tech and there are very few," said Marie Trexler, head of the lesbian entrepreneur mentoring program for StartOut, a nonprofit working to create more LGBT-identified business leaders. "Sexual identity isn't always front and center in your business life, but it can be, and it can be very valuable."

Related: Lesbian dating app secures $1 million in funding

A few years ago, Trexler started attending gay tech events, but found, unsurprisingly, that the crowd was mostly male.

"Often it would be me, two or three female friends and 50 to 60 guys," said Trexler, an experienced venture capitalist.

When she started asking lesbians in tech what they wanted, mentoring was repeated over and over.

"The role modeling component really does make a difference," said Trexler.

With StartOut's lesbian entrepreneurship program, each mentee is paired with a mentor for six months. Trexler said one of the biggest challenges for the mentees is funding, which is true for female entrepreneurs across the board.

Related: Record number of U.S. firms offering same-sex benefits

Several funds have been launched to support LGBT-identified entrepreneurs.

VentureOut funds seed-stage startups founded by business leaders in the LGBT community. LGBT Capital takes a different angle, supporting companies that target the LGBT consumer market.

Pitching investors is a big part of Trexler's program.

It made a difference for B. Cole, founder of Brioxy, a soon-to-be-launched platform that helps young people of color find fellowships. She completed the StartOut program last year.

"As a person of color who identifies as a lesbian and someone gender non-conforming, the deck is stacked, so they say," she said. The program helped her identify investors and build a network.

She is looking to raise $500,000 in the next year, to add to the $15,000 she raised on Indiegogo last year. "I'm ready to increase the size of the team and go after a larger market share," she said.

For women who may not want to build their own startups, but still have their sights set on tech, Pittsford said events like hers bring inspiring women together.

At one summit, Megan Smith, who President Obama named as U.S. chief technology officer last year, gave a talk and then stayed to talk to attendees.

Pittsford said the line to get face time with Smith was nearly out the door, and it's women like her that provide a solid role model not just for LGBT women, but women everywhere.

That means a lot to Pittsford, who said that before she started her organization, women said they didn't even have one person they looked up to who was in tech and a lesbian.

"I thought, 'There is something we can solve here,'" she said.

CNNMoney (New York) April 13, 2015: 9:21 AM ET

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Gap and Target among 13 stores probed for hourly wage practices

The office of attorney general Eric Schneiderman sent letters last week to 13 retail chains asking for information about their so-called "on call shifts," where employees are given very little advance notice on what hours they will be working.

Workers find out if they are scheduled for work just hours or the night before the start of a shift. If they are told to stay home, employees are not paid.

Such erratic schedules make it difficult for employees to manage their family needs such as child care or school schedules, according to the letter. It says workers on these shifts "experience adverse financial and health effects, as well as overall stress and strain on family life."

Related: More workers are quitting and that's good news

Schneiderman's office says it has received reports that a growing number of major retailers are using these on call systems to manage staff levels so they have more people when it's busy and fewer when its slow.

New York law requires employers to pay workers at least four hours of minimum wage if employees report for a scheduled shift.

Currently, eight U.S. states and the District of Columbia have similar requirements, according to the National Employment Law Project.

In addition to Target (TGT) and Sears (SHLD), the letter was sent to Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF), Gap (GPS), Ann Taylor (ANN) , Burlington Stores (BURL), Crocs, JC Penney (JCP), J. Crew Group, L Brands (LB), TJX (TJX), Urban Outfitters (URBN) and Williams Sonoma (WSM).

Related: Microsoft tells its contractors to give workers paid time off

Gap said it was committed to "sustainable scheduling practices that will improve stability for our employees, while helping to effectively manage our business."

The company said it is working with researchers at UC Hastings College on workplace scheduling an productivity issues.

A spokeswoman for TJX, which owns T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, said its schedules are designed to "serve the needs" of both the workers and the company and that they treat employees "dignity and respect."

A spokesperson for Sears said the company is looking into the matter and plans to cooperate with the Attorney General.

Representatives of the other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Related: Nearly 90 percent of Americans have health coverage

Related: 35% of workers say they'll quit if they don't get a raise

CNNMoney (New York) April 13, 2015: 11:05 AM ET

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Canada's economy is a disaster from low oil prices

The fall in oil prices is forcing billions of dollars in spending reductions for Canada's oil and gas industry. In February, Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) shelved plans for a tar sands project in Alberta that would have produced 200,000 barrels per day. Last year, Petronas put off plans to build a massive LNG export terminal on Canada's west coast.

Moody's recently predicted that very few of the 18 proposed LNG projects in Canada will be constructed. Most will be canceled. The oil industry is expected to lose 37% of its revenues in 2015, or a fall of CAD$43 billion.

That is bad news for Canada's oil and gas sector. But even worse, Canada's overdependence on oil and gas will threaten its broader economy now that the sector has gone bust.

The severe drop in oil prices has made the Canadian dollar one of the worst performing currencies in the world over the past year. The "loonie" used to trade at parity to the U.S. dollar, and even appreciated to a stronger level a few years ago, but now a Canadian dollar gets you less than 80 U.S. cents.

Related: Top 12 Media Myths On Oil Prices

Disaster levels: While a weaker currency has complicating effects on the economy (it will also boost exports, for example), on balance low oil prices have been an unmitigated disaster for Canada's economy.

Canada's GDP "fell off a cliff" in January of this year, according to a report from Capital Economics, a consultancy. Canada's economy could be shrinking by 1% on an annualized basis. For the full year, Capital Economics predicts growth of 1.5%, followed by a weak 1% expansion in 2016.

"Overall, unless oil prices rebound soon, the economy is likely to struggle much longer than the consensus view implies, even as the improving US economy supports stronger non-energy exports," Capital Economics concluded. Other economic analysts agree.

Nomura Securities worries about "contagion," as the collapse in oil prices lead to less drilling, declining demand for supporting services, falling housing prices, a sinking stock market, and weakness in other sectors like construction and engineering. The pain could be concentrated in Alberta in particular, where household debt averages CAD$124,838, compared to just CAD$76,150 for the rest of Canada. Now with the rug pulled out beneath the economy, there could be a day of reckoning.

Related: How Much Longer Can OPEC Hold Out?

High-cost oil: Much of Canada's oil production comes from high-cost tar sands. When they are up and running, tar sands operations can produce relatively more stable outputs than shale, which suffers from rapid decline rates. But, nevertheless, tar sands are extremely costly, with breakeven prices at $60 to $80 per barrel for steam-assisted extraction and a whopping $90 to $100 per barrel for tar sands mining.

Even worse, Canada's heavy oil trades at a discount to WTI, which makes it all the more painful when oil prices are low. The discount is nearly $12 per barrel below WTI right now. Some of that discount is the result of inadequate pipeline capacity, trapping some tar sands in Canada. The stalled Keystone XL pipeline is the most controversial, but not the only pipeline that has been blocked. The head of Canada's Scotiabank recently warned that the inability to build enough energy infrastructure, plus Canada's near total dependence on the U.S. market, puts Canada's economy at risk.

Related: The Real Cost Of Cheap Oil

The Bank of Canada surveyed the top executives at Canada's 100 largest businesses found that two-thirds of them think it is critical to diversify the economy away from oil. With such a dependence on commodities, the oil bust has rippled through the economy, forcing layoffs and increasing unemployment. Consumer confidence is low, and hiring is at its lowest level since 2009, during the immediate aftermath of the global financial crisis.

Of course, diversification can only be achieved over the longer-term. In the near-term Canada's fate is tied to the price of oil.

Nick Cunningham is a Washington DC-based writer on energy and environmental issues for Oilprice.com. You can follow him on twitter at @nickcunningham1.

Related: Oil fallout: U.S. companies kill over 51,000 jobs

CNNMoney (New York) April 13, 2015: 11:23 AM ET

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What happens when you can't pay what you owe the IRS

But what if you can't come up with the money, at least not all at once?

The good news: There are options other than pawning everything you own or having the IRS go after your wages and bank account.

Your first step should be to file all your returns of the past few years if you haven't done so already. Otherwise steep failure-to-file penalties will accrue quickly, compounding your financial woes.

Second, you must weigh lots of variables to figure out the best payment plan for you -- and then hope the IRS agrees. Those variables include how much you owe, your capacity to pay, the time required under different plans to do so and how much financial information you must reveal to seal the deal.

Whatever deal you strike, follow the terms down to the letter. Because if you miss a payment you're considered in default and then "the gloves come off," said former IRS collections officer David Levine, now an enrolled agent in Reno, Nevada.

Related: When the IRS can keep your refund

Getting help: If you owe less than $10,000, you may be able to resolve the situation on your own, without paying high fees to a lawyer or accountant, according to former IRS attorneys Deborah and Garrett Gregory, who wrote the "Guide to IRS Collections for Liabilities under $10,000."

But if the IRS maze confuses you, find a qualified pro to help.

In any case, if you've always done your own taxes, you might want a tax professional to look them over to make sure you really owe as much as the IRS says before working out a payment plan, Levine suggested.

If you owe more than $10,000, it's advisable to have a tax attorney, enrolled agent or CPA with experience setting up payment plans represent you.

"The more that is owed to the IRS, the more complicated it becomes to negotiate with the government," the Gregorys noted.

Payment options include:

Personal loan: If available to you and you're sure it won't ruin your relationship, a personal loan from a family member or friend will let you pay what you owe in full, save you money in penalties and get the IRS off your back right away.

Related: Don't want to file your taxes? Get ready to pay ... a lot

Assuming you can pay the loan back, Levine recommends this option.

But make sure you formalize the loan by writing down the repayment terms, including interest, and having it notarized, he said.

For many people, of course, a personal loan is not an option. So consider the following:

Short-term extension: If you think you can pay off your debt within 120 days, the IRS may let you do so, and that will curb how much you'll owe in interest and penalties. Plus there's no fee to set up this payment plan as there are with most other options.

Related: You've never seen IRS penalties like these

Installment agreement: If it will take you time to pay your debt, an installment agreement may be your best bet. You can apply online or on paper.

To be considered for one, you generally must owe less than $50,000, be current on your tax return filings and can pay what you owe within 72 months or within the remaining portion of the 10-year collection statute, whichever is less, Garrett Gregory noted.

You may be able to get an installment agreement if you owe more than $50,000 too, but the bar for acceptance is much higher. In addition to everything those who owe less than $50,000 must do to apply, you also must produce a financial statement and all documents supporting income and expenses, he said.

Undue hardship extension: If you can document that paying your tax debt immediately would cause you undue hardship -- e.g., forcing a fire sale of your home -- the IRS may grant you up to 18 months to pay.

To apply for the extension you must include a statement of assets and liabilities, as well as itemize the income and expenses you had three months prior to the tax due date.

Offer in Compromise (OIC): If you can make the case with supporting documents that you will never be able to pay your tax debt in full, the IRS may agree to accept a lesser amount.

Keep in mind, though, the IRS only accepts a minority of OICs and undue hardship extensions, said Mike Slack, a tax researcher at H&R Block's Tax Institute.

CNNMoney (New York) April 13, 2015: 12:07 PM ET

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You're right - flying got worse in 2014

U.S. airline quality declined in 2014 according to the latest ranking from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which looks at on time performance, lost bags, customer complaints and bumped passengers.

The ratings for most airlines fell, but Virgin America (VA) took the top spot as it has for each of the last two years.

Best on-time performance: Hawaiian Airlines (HA) was tops in the category, thanks to relatively few weather delays. But Alaska Air came in second despite the fact that it has much more difficult weather to deal with.

Fewest customer complaints: Alaska Airlines had the fewest number of complaints about things like ticketing and baggage problems.

Fewest lost bags: Virgin America. Virgin also bumped almost no passengers from their scheduled flights.

Biggest decline in quality: Envoy, which used to be known as American Eagle, took the biggest hit in this year's rankings. It also suffered the worst in the overall score out of the dozen airlines that were ranked. It had the highest rate of lost bags and the worst on-time performance.

Bringing up the rear in the 2014 rankings are ExpressJet and SkyWest (SKYW), which like Envoy both provide feeder services for the major carriers.

Related: Why flying stinks and you're still paying more

Most complaints: Frontier Airlines. The industry's overall complaint rate jumped 22% from 2013.

"Things are going in the wrong direction, that's for sure," said Wichita State professor Dean Headley, one of the report's authors.

The study's authors don't expect to see an improvement any time soon, since more people are flying.

"I think it comes from a decision to not reinvest in customer service," said Embry-Riddle professor Brent Bowen.

Related: Legroom - How the airlines compare

Airline customers had plenty of problems in 2014, but airline investors did very well as the industry posted record profits. Shares of the four major airline - American Airlines (AAL), United Continental (UAL), Delta Air Lines (DAL) and Southwest (LUV) - were all among the market's top-performers. Shares of Southwest more than doubled, posting the biggest gain in the S&P.

CNNMoney (New York) April 13, 2015: 12:02 PM ET

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Pepsi to replace Coke as NBA's official sponsor

Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi is expected to make the announcement later Monday.

Coke was the NBA's exclusive food and beverage partner for 28 years.

Pepsi (PEP)CEO Indra Nooyi is expected to officially unveil the partnership with the NBA later Monday.

With the latest partnership, Pepsi will have sponsorship deals with all of the major U.S. sports leagues, including the National Football League, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League.

Coke (COKE) said it decided not to renew its contract with the league for the upcoming season. The company said it will continue to promote Coke products through existing deals with NBA players, including LeBron James.

Separately, Coke said it would become the exclusive sponsor of Major League Soccer in the Untied States.

CNNMoney (New York) April 13, 2015: 12:06 PM ET

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