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 Fed and How It Got That Way

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

The Cycle of Investing

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

Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President

The Economic Report of the President can help identify the forces driving — or dragging — the economy.

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

  What’s Your Investment IQ?

  You make decisions for your portfolio, but how much do you really know about the products you buy? Try this quiz

  Value vs. Growth Investing

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

  Do Our Biases Affect Our Financial Choices?

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

  The Business Cycle

  Understanding the economy's cycles can help put current business conditions in better perspective.

  Global vs. International: What’s the Difference?

  International funds invest in non-U.S. markets, while global funds may invest in U.S. stocks alongside non-U.S. stocks.

  Impact Investing or Philanthropy

  This fun piece can help your clients explore the benefits of impact investing versus founding a philanthropy.

  View all articles

• Calculators

  What Is the Dividend Yield?

  Calculate the dividend yield of a holding and see what that means for income over time.

  Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

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

  Debt vs. Investment

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

  Comparing Investments

  Compare two different scenarios side by side to see how they stack up over time.

  Student Loan Refinance Calculator

  Compare your current student loan terms to a potential refinance to see if it makes sense.

  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.

  View all calculators

• Videos

  From Boats to Brokers

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

  The Fed and How It Got That Way

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

  What Smart Investors Know

  Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.

  Jane Bond: Infiltrating the Market

  Agent Jane Bond is on the case, cracking the code on bonds.

  16 Wall Street Cliches in 60 Seconds

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

  Bursting the Bubble

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

  View all videos