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

Are Alternative Investments Right for You?

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

Should I Invest in Gold?

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

Diversification, Patience, and Consistency

Three important factors when it comes to your financial life.

What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?

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

• Articles

  Best-Performing Asset Classes

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

  Why Regular Rebalancing Makes Sense

  Without your knowing, your investment portfolio could be off-kilter.

  A Taxing Story: Capital Gains and Losses

  Understanding how capital gains are taxed may help you refine your investment strategies.

  The Ivory Tower Changes Wall Street

  Thanks to the work of three economists, we have a better understanding of what determines an asset’s price.

  TIPS for Inflation

  If you are concerned about inflation and expect short-term interest rates may increase, TIPS could be worth considering.

  The Utility of Sector Investing

  Successful sector investing is dependent upon an accurate analysis about when to rotate in and out.

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• Calculators

  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.

  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.

  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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• Videos

  Behavioral Finance

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

  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 Business Cycle

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

  Bursting the Bubble

  Tulips were the first, but they won’t be the last. What forms a “bubble” and what causes them to burst?

  Should I Invest in Gold?

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

  Bridging the Confidence Gap

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

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