Investment

Investing should be easy – just buy low and sell high – but most of us have trouble following that simple advice. There are principles and strategies that may enable you to put together an investment portfolio that reflects your risk tolerance, time horizon, and goals. Understanding these principles and strategies can help you avoid some of the pitfalls that snare some investors.

Featured Video

Are Alternative Investments Right for You?

With alternative investments, it’s critical to sort through the complexity.

Inflation and Your Portfolio

Even low inflation rates can pose a threat to investment returns.

All Muni Bonds Are Not Created Equal

Gaining a better understanding of municipal bonds makes more sense than ever.

The Business Cycle

How will you weather the ups and downs of the business cycle?

• Articles

  A Decision Not Made Is Still a Decision

  Investors who put off important investment decisions may face potential consequences to their future financial security.

  Best-Performing Asset Classes

  Bonds may outperform stocks one year only to have stocks rebound the next.

  A Look at Diversification

  Diversification is an investment principle designed to manage risk, but it can't prevent against a loss.

  Inflation & Your Money

  It's important to understand how inflation is reported and how it can affect investments.

  Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President

  The Economic Report of the President can help identify the forces driving — or dragging — the economy.

  It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times

  Learn about key investment principles that will help you navigate the unpredictability of the financial markets.

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• Calculators

  Saving for College

  This calculator can help you estimate how much you should be saving for college.

  Impact of Taxes and Inflation

  Estimate the potential impact taxes and inflation can have on the purchasing power of an investment.

  How Compound Interest Works

  Use this calculator to better see the potential impact of compound interest on an asset.

  What Is My Risk Tolerance?

  This questionnaire will help determine your tolerance for investment risk.

  Contributing to an IRA?

  Determine if you are eligible to contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA.

  What Is the Dividend Yield?

  This calculator helps determine your pre-tax and after-tax dividend yield on a particular stock.

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• Videos

  What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?

  $1 million in a diversified portfolio could help finance part of your retirement.

  The Fed and How It Got That Way

  Here is a quick history of the Federal Reserve and an overview of what it does.

  Where Is the Market Headed?

  We all know the stock market can be unpredictable. We all want to know, “What’s next for the financial markets?”

  Bridging the Confidence Gap

  In the world of finance, the effects of the "confidence gap" can be especially apparent.

  What Smart Investors Know

  Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.

  Inflation and Your Portfolio

  Even low inflation rates can pose a threat to investment returns.

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