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.

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The Fed and How It Got That Way

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 Anatomy of an Index

The Anatomy of an Index

The S&P 500 represents a large portion of the value of the U.S. equity market, it may be worth understanding.

The Cycle of Investing

The Cycle of Investing

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

Asset Allocation

Consider how your assets are allocated and if that allocation is consistent with your time frame and risk tolerance.

How Financial Professionals Are Compensated

Read this overview to learn how financial advisors are compensated.

Emotional vs. Strategic Decisions

Information vs. instinct. Are your choices based on evidence of emotion?

The Investment Risk No One’s Ever Heard Of

You face a risk for which the market does not compensate you, that can not be easily reduced through diversification.

Do Our Biases Affect Our Financial Choices?

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

Value vs. Growth Investing

Among stock-market investors there’s long been a debate between those who favor value and those who favor growth.

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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.

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.

Saving for College

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

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Bull and Bear Go To Market

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

The Rule of 72

Do you know how long it may take for your investments to double in value? The Rule of 72 is a quick way to figure it out.

Global and International Funds

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

The Fed and How It Got That Way

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

Should I Invest in Gold?

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

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.

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