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

Should I Invest in Gold?

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

Featured Presentation

5 Smart Investing Principles

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

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.

Alternative Investments - Going Mainstream

Alternative investments are going mainstream for accredited investors. It’s critical to sort through the complexity.

From Boats to Brokers

From the Dutch East India Company to Wall Street, the stock market has a long and storied history.

• Articles

  Mutual Funds vs. ETFs

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

  Inflation & Your Money

  It's important to understand how inflation is reported and how it can affect investments.

  How the Federal Reserve Works

  Each day, the Fed is behind the scenes supporting the economy and providing services to the U.S. financial system.

  Best-Performing Asset Classes

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

  Pullbacks, Corrections, and Bear Markets

  Clearing up confusion from the economic downturn following COVID-19 and how it might affect your financial strategy.

  Asset Allocation

  Consider how your assets are allocated and if that allocation is consistent with your time frame and risk tolerance.

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• Calculators

  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.

  Impact of Taxes and Inflation

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

  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.

  Saving for College

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

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• Presentations

  5 Smart Investing Strategies

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

  5 Smart Investing Principles

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

  View all presentations

• Videos

  16 Wall Street Cliches in 60 Seconds

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

  What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?

  $1 million in a diversified portfolio could help finance part of your retirement.

  Bridging the Confidence Gap

  In the world of finance, the effects of the "confidence gap" can be especially apparent.

  The Fed and How It Got That Way

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

  Jane Bond: Scaling the Ladder

  Agent Jane Bond is on the case, uncovering the mystery of bond laddering.

  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.

  View all videos