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

The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

What if instead of buying that vacation home, you invested the money?

What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?

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

Diversification, Patience, and Consistency

Three important factors when it comes to your financial life.

The Business Cycle

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

• Articles

  Estimating the Cost of College

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

  Do Our Biases Affect Our Financial Choices?

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

  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.

  Four Really Good Reasons to Invest

  There are four very good reasons to start investing. Do you know what they are?

  Separating the Signal From the Noise

  A good professional provides important guidance and insight through the years.

  Your Shifting Risk Tolerance

  Time and market performance may subtly and slowly imbalance your portfolio.

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• Calculators

  Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

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

  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.

  Saving for College

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

  What Is the Dividend Yield?

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

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• Videos

  The Fed and How It Got That Way

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

  From Boats to Brokers

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

  Finding the Balance

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

  Jane Bond: Scaling the Ladder

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

  What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?

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

  Inflation and Your Portfolio

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

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