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

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.

Featured Presentation

5 Smart Investing Strategies

Getting what you want out of your money may require the right game plan.

Are Alternative Investments Right for You?

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

Four Really Good Reasons to Invest

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

What Smart Investors Know

Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.

• Articles

  Don’t Be Your Own Worst Enemy

  Emotional biases can adversely impact financial decision making. Here’s a few to be mindful of.

  Inflation and the Real Rate of Return

  Learn about the role of inflation when considering your portfolio’s rate of return with this helpful article.

  A Decision Not Made Is Still a Decision

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

  Emotional vs. Strategic Decisions

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

  Getting a Head Start on College Savings

  A few strategies that may help you prepare for the cost of higher education.

  How Financial Professionals Are Compensated

  Read this overview to learn how financial advisors are compensated.

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• Calculators

  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.

  Impact of Taxes and Inflation

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

  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.

  Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

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

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• Presentations

  5 Smart Investing Principles

  Principles that can help create a portfolio designed to pursue investment goals.

  5 Smart Investing Strategies

  There are some smart strategies that may help you pursue your investment objectives

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• Videos

  From Boats to Brokers

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

  Emerging Market Opportunities

  What are your options for investing in emerging markets?

  The Fed and How It Got That Way

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

  Bursting the Bubble

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

  The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

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

  Inflation and Your Portfolio

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

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