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.

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.

Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President

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

Should I Invest in Gold?

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

• Articles

  A Taxing Story: Capital Gains and Losses

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

  A Decision Not Made Is Still a Decision

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

  The ABCs of Zero Coupon Bonds

  Understanding some basic concepts may help you assess whether zero-coupon bonds have a place in your portfolio.

  What’s Your Investment IQ?

  You make decisions for your portfolio, but how much do you really know about the products you buy? Try this quiz

  Types of Stock Market Analysis

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

  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

  What Is My Risk Tolerance?

  This questionnaire will help determine your tolerance for investment risk.

  Impact of Taxes and Inflation

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

  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.

  Saving for College

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

  Contributing to an IRA?

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

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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

  What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?

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

  Should You Invest in Exchange Traded Funds?

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

  The Cycle of Investing

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

  Inflation and Your Portfolio

  Even low inflation rates can pose a threat to investment returns.

  16 Wall Street Cliches in 60 Seconds

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

  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?”

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