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

What Smart Investors Know

Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.

Bull and Bear Go To Market

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

Estimating the Cost of College

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

The Fed and How It Got That Way

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

• Articles

  Best-Performing Asset Classes

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

  Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President

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

  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.

  Emotional vs. Strategic Decisions

  Information vs. instinct. Are your choices based on evidence of emotion?

  Separating the Signal From the Noise

  A good professional provides important guidance and insight through the years.

  Mutual Funds vs. ETFs

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

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• Calculators

  What Is My Risk Tolerance?

  This questionnaire will help determine your tolerance for investment risk.

  How Compound Interest Works

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

  What Is the Dividend Yield?

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

  Impact of Taxes and Inflation

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

  Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

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

  Contributing to an IRA?

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

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• Videos

  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.

  The Rule of 72

  Do you know how long it may take for your investments to double in value? The Rule of 72 is a quick way to figure it out.

  Global and International Funds

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

  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.

  Should I Invest in Gold?

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

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