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.
Finding the Balance
The sandwich generation faces unique challenges. For many, meeting needs is a matter of finding a balance.
The Real Cost of a Vacation Home
What if instead of buying that vacation home, you invested the money?
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.
Inflation and Your Portfolio
Even low inflation rates can pose a threat to investment returns.
The Business Cycle
Understanding the economy's cycles can help put current business conditions in better perspective.
Best-Performing Asset Classes
Bonds may outperform stocks one year only to have stocks rebound the next.
Mutual Funds vs. ETFs
Exchange-traded funds have some things in common with mutual funds, but there are differences, too.
How Stocks Work
Understanding how a stock works is key to understanding your investments.
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.
Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President
The Economic Report of the President can help identify the forces driving — or dragging — the economy.
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How Can I Save a Million Dollars?
See what it takes in monthly contributions and time to reach a million-dollar savings goal.
Wedding Budget Calculator
Estimate total wedding costs and see how different choices affect your overall budget.
Student Loan Payoff Calculator: Extra Payments Can Save You
See how extra payments toward your student loans could shorten your payoff timeline.
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.
What Is My Net Worth?
Get a snapshot of your overall financial picture by calculating your total net worth.
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From Boats to Brokers
From the Dutch East India Company to Wall St., the stock market has a long and storied history.
Bursting the Bubble
Tulips were the first, but they won’t be the last. What forms a “bubble” and what causes them to burst?
Should I Invest in Gold?
Learning more about gold and its history may help you decide whether it has a place in your portfolio.
Should You Invest in Exchange Traded Funds?
There are thousands of ETFs available. Should you invest in them?
Behavioral Finance
An amusing and whimsical look at behavioral finance best practices for investors.
The Real Cost of a Vacation Home
What if instead of buying that vacation home, you invested the money?