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

From Boats to Brokers

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

Featured Presentation

5 Smart Investing Principles

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

Events on Wall Street

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

You Would Rather Be...

Are you a thrill seeker, or content to relax in the backyard? Use this flowchart to find out more about your risk tolerance.

Jane Bond: Scaling the Ladder

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

• Articles

  Estimating the Cost of College

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

  Best-Performing Asset Classes

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

  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.

  A Primer on Dividends

  A company's profits can be reinvested or paid out to the company’s shareholders as “dividends."

  You Would Rather Be...

  Are you a thrill seeker, or content to relax in the backyard? Use this flowchart to find out more about your risk tolerance.

  A Decision Not Made Is Still a Decision

  Investors who put off important investment decisions may face potential consequence to their future financial security.

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• Calculators

  What Is the Dividend Yield?

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

  How Compound Interest Works

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

  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.

  Saving for College

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

  What Is My Risk Tolerance?

  This questionnaire will help determine your tolerance for investment risk.

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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.

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• Videos

  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.

  The Cycle of Investing

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

  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?”

  Should You Invest in Exchange Traded Funds?

  There are hundreds of ETFs available. Should you invest in them?

  The Fed and How It Got That Way

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

  When Markets React

  When markets shift, experienced investors stick to their strategy.

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