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

Finding the Balance

The sandwich generation faces unique challenges. For many, meeting needs is a matter of finding a balance.

Should I Invest in Gold?

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

Mutual Funds vs. ETFs

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

Emerging Market Opportunities

What are your options for investing in emerging markets?

• Articles

  Types of Stock Market Analysis

  Most stock market analysis falls into three broad groups: Fundamental, technical, and sentimental. Here’s a look at each.

  Getting a Head Start on College Savings

  A few strategies that may help you prepare for the cost of higher education.

  Risk Perspective

  Is it possible to avoid loss? Not entirely, but you can attempt to manage risk.

  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.

  Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President

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

  Do Our Biases Affect Our Financial Choices?

  Even the most seasoned investors have biases affecting their financial choices.

  View all articles

• Calculators

  Contributing to an IRA?

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

  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.

  How Compound Interest Works

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

  Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

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

  What Is the Dividend Yield?

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

  View all calculators

• Videos

  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 Fed and How It Got That Way

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

  Emerging Market Opportunities

  What are your options for investing in emerging markets?

  Behavioral Finance

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

  Jane Bond: Infiltrating the Market

  Agent Jane Bond is on the case, cracking the code on bonds.

  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?”

  View all videos