BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- So far, 2014 has been a spectacular year for dividend investors. Despite this low-interest-rate environment, companies in the big S&P 500 index are cutting bigger checks than ever before. And they're on pace to hit even higher levels in the year ahead. Must Read: Warren Buffett's Top 10 Dividend Stocks According to S&P Dow Jones Indices analyst Howard Silverblatt, S&P components are on track to pay out more than $41.2 billion in dividend checks in November, a record monthly payout for the big index.