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.

What Smart Investors Know

Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.

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

All about how missing the best market days (or the worst!) might affect your portfolio.

Estimating the Cost of College

This worksheet can help you estimate the costs of a four-year college program.

The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

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

Risk Perspective

Is it possible to avoid loss? Not entirely, but you can attempt to manage risk.

Value vs. Growth Investing

Among stock-market investors there’s long been a debate between those who favor value and those who favor growth.

Diversification, Patience, and Consistency

Three important factors when it comes to your financial life.

You Would Rather Be...

Are you a thrill seeker, or content to relax in the backyard? Use this flowchart to find out more about your risk tolerance.

How Stocks Work

Understanding how a stock works is key to understanding your investments.

Do Our Biases Affect Our Financial Choices?

Even the most seasoned investors have biases affecting their financial choices.

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The Power of Interest - How Long Will it take My Money to Do

Use the Rule of 72 to estimate how long it takes your money to double at a given rate.

Comparing Investments

Compare two different scenarios side by side to see how they stack up over time.

Wedding Budget Calculator

Estimate total wedding costs and see how different choices affect your overall budget.

Bi-Weekly Mortgage Payments

See how switching to bi-weekly mortgage payments could reduce interest and shorten your loan.

Student Loan Refinance Calculator

Compare your current student loan terms to a potential refinance to see if it makes sense.

Debt vs. Investment

Weigh the potential outcomes of paying off debt versus directing those dollars elsewhere.

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The Fed and How It Got That Way

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

Global and International Funds

Investors seeking world investments can choose between global and international funds. What's the difference?

Bull and Bear Go To Market

Learn about the difference between bulls and bears—markets, that is!

What Smart Investors Know

Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.

Should I Invest in Gold?

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

The Junk Drawer Approach to Investing

It's easy to let investments accumulate like old receipts in a junk drawer.