From what I've seen, the primary objective of most individual investors today is income generation. Investments that promise growth of principal tend to see fewer flows than those with high dividend yields. This is tied to the rise in popularity of REITs, Business-Development-Companies, and high-yield bonds. Often, these are investments that deliver negative returns in principal but with high dividend income returns.
Recessionary times are double-edged swords for high-yield investors. On one hand, yields are much higher today than usual as default risk is increased. This means investors can see much greater dividend returns and