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

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?”

Featured Presentation

5 Smart Investing Principles

Principles that can help create a portfolio designed to pursue investment goals.

Global and International Funds

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

Four Really Good Reasons to Invest

There are four very good reasons to start investing. Do you know what they are?

Bursting the Bubble

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

• Articles

  How Financial Professionals Are Compensated

  Read this overview to learn how financial advisors are compensated.

  The Ivory Tower Changes Wall Street

  Thanks to the work of three economists, we have a better understanding of what determines an asset’s price.

  Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President

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

  Four Really Good Reasons to Invest

  There are four very good reasons to start investing. Do you know what they are?

  The ABCs of Zero Coupon Bonds

  Understanding some basic concepts may help you assess whether zero-coupon bonds have a place in your portfolio.

  The Anatomy of an Index

  The S&P 500 represents a large portion of the value of the U.S. equity market, it may be worth understanding.

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• Calculators

  What Is My Risk Tolerance?

  This questionnaire will help determine your tolerance for investment risk.

  Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

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

  Saving for College

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

  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.

  Contributing to an IRA?

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

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• Presentations

  5 Smart Investing Principles

  Principles that can help create a portfolio designed to pursue investment goals.

  5 Smart Investing Strategies

  There are some smart strategies that may help you pursue your investment objectives

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• Videos

  Are Alternative Investments Right for You?

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

  The Business Cycle

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

  Events on Wall Street

  Can successful investors predict changes in the markets? Some can but others miss the market’s signals.

  Bursting the Bubble

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

  The Cycle of Investing

  Understanding the cycle of investing may help you avoid easy pitfalls.

  The Junk Drawer Approach to Investing

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

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