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

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.

Investing with Your Heart

For some, the social impact of investing is just as important as the return, perhaps more important.

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.

• Articles

  A Primer on Dividends

  A company's profits can be reinvested or paid out to the company’s shareholders as “dividends."

  It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times

  Learn about key investment principles that will help you navigate the unpredictability of the financial markets.

  Your Shifting Risk Tolerance

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

  The Sequence of Returns

  A look at how variable rates of return impact investors over time.

  Do Our Biases Affect Our Financial Choices?

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

  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.

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• Calculators

  Wedding Budget Calculator

  Estimate total wedding costs and see how different choices affect your overall budget.

  Debt vs. Investment

  Weigh the potential outcomes of paying off debt versus directing those dollars elsewhere.

  Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

  Compare how the same contribution grows differently in taxable versus tax-deferred accounts.

  Monthly Budget

  Track your monthly income and expenses to get a clearer view of your cash flow.

  The Power of Interest - How Long Will it take My Money to Do

  Use the Rule of 72 to estimate how long it takes your money to double at a given rate.

  How Compound Interest Works

  Explore how compound interest can grow your money over time with this interactive tool.

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• Videos

  16 Wall Street Cliches in 60 Seconds

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

  From Boats to Brokers

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

  When Markets React

  When markets shift, experienced investors stick to their strategy.

  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 Real Cost of a Vacation Home

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

  The Business Cycle

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

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