Investment | Don Roork

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.

Finding the Balance

The sandwich generation faces unique challenges. For many, meeting needs is a matter of finding a balance.

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Bursting the Bubble

Tulips were the first, but they won’t be the last. What forms a “bubble” and what causes them to burst?

Bull & Bear Markets: A Timeline

This helpful infographic will define bull and bear markets, as well as give a historical overview.

Should I Invest in Gold?

Learning more about gold and its history may help you decide whether it has a place in your portfolio.

Best-Performing Asset Classes

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

Asset Allocation

Consider how your assets are allocated and if that allocation is consistent with your time frame and risk tolerance.

The Sequence of Returns

A look at how variable rates of return impact investors over time.

Inflation and the Real Rate of Return

Learn about the role of inflation when considering your portfolio’s rate of return with this helpful article.

Mutual Funds vs. ETFs

Exchange-traded funds have some things in common with mutual funds, but there are differences, too.

The Business Cycle

Understanding the economy's cycles can help put current business conditions in better perspective.

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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.

Saving for College

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

Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

Use this calculator to compare the future value of investments with different tax consequences.

Impact of Taxes and Inflation

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

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What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?

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

The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

What if instead of buying that vacation home, you invested the money?

From Boats to Brokers

From the Dutch East India Company to Wall St., the stock market has a long and storied history.

The Fed and How It Got That Way

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

Bursting the Bubble

Tulips were the first, but they won’t be the last. What forms a “bubble” and what causes them to burst?

Behavioral Finance

An amusing and whimsical look at behavioral finance best practices for investors.