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 Junk Drawer Approach to Investing

It's easy to let investments accumulate like old receipts in a junk drawer.

Emerging Market Opportunities

What are your options for investing in emerging markets?

How Stocks Work

Understanding how a stock works is key to understanding your investments.

Global and International Funds

Investors seeking world investments can choose between global and international funds. What's the difference?

• 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.

  All Muni Bonds Are Not Created Equal

  Gaining a better understanding of municipal bonds makes more sense than ever.

  Mutual Funds vs. ETFs

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

  Separating the Signal From the Noise

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

  TIPS for Inflation

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

  Do Our Biases Affect Our Financial Choices?

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

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• 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 the Dividend Yield?

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

  What Is My Risk Tolerance?

  This questionnaire will help determine your tolerance for investment risk.

  Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

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

  How Compound Interest Works

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

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• Videos

  Bull and Bear Go To Market

  Learn about the difference between bulls and bears—markets, that is!

  Behavioral Finance

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

  Bursting the Bubble

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

  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 Junk Drawer Approach to Investing

  It's easy to let investments accumulate like old receipts in a junk drawer.

  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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