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.
Are Alternative Investments Right for You?
With alternative investments, it’s critical to sort through the complexity.
5 Smart Investing Principles
Principles that can help create a portfolio designed to pursue investment goals.
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Inflation and Your Portfolio
Even low inflation rates can pose a threat to investment returns.

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

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.
Emotional vs. Strategic Decisions
Information vs. instinct. Are your choices based on evidence of emotion?
Mutual Funds vs. ETFs
Exchange-traded funds have some things in common with mutual funds, but there are differences, too.
Getting a Head Start on College Savings
A few strategies that may help you prepare for the cost of higher education.
Investment Challenges of the Affluent Investor
Affluent investors face unique challenges when putting together an investment strategy. Make sure you keep these in mind.
Alternative Investments - Going Mainstream
Alternative investments are going mainstream for accredited investors. It’s critical to sort through the complexity.
Bull & Bear Markets: A Timeline
This helpful infographic will define bull and bear markets, as well as give a historical overview.
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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.
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.
Contributing to an IRA?
Determine if you are eligible to contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA.
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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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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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 Junk Drawer Approach to Investing
It's easy to let investments accumulate like old receipts in a junk drawer.
Inflation and Your Portfolio
Even low inflation rates can pose a threat to investment returns.
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?”
Jane Bond: Scaling the Ladder
Agent Jane Bond is on the case, uncovering the mystery of bond laddering.
From Boats to Brokers
From the Dutch East India Company to Wall Street, the stock market has a long and storied history.