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

The Business Cycle

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

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 ABCs of Zero Coupon Bonds

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

Behavioral Finance

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

• 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.

  The Investment Risk No One’s Ever Heard Of

  You face a risk for which the market does not compensate you, that can not be easily reduced through diversification.

  How Stocks Work

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

  Best-Performing Asset Classes

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

  What’s Your Investment IQ?

  You make decisions for your portfolio, but how much do you really know about the products you buy? Try this quiz

  Investing with Your Heart

  For some, the social impact of investing is just as important as the return, perhaps more important.

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• Calculators

  What Is My Risk Tolerance?

  This questionnaire will help determine your tolerance for investment risk.

  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.

  How Compound Interest Works

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

  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.

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• Videos

  Inflation and Your Portfolio

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

  16 Wall Street Cliches in 60 Seconds

  Pundits say a lot of things about the markets. Let's see if you can keep up.

  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 Real Cost of a Vacation Home

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

  The Junk Drawer Approach to Investing

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

  Are Alternative Investments Right for You?

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

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