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.
The Junk Drawer Approach to Investing
It's easy to let investments accumulate like old receipts in a junk drawer.
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What Smart Investors Know
Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.
Investing with Your Heart
For some, the social impact of investing is just as important as the return, perhaps more important.
The Business Cycle
How will you weather the ups and downs of the business cycle?
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.
TIPS for Inflation
If you are concerned about inflation and expect short-term interest rates may increase, TIPS could be worth considering.
A Primer on Dividends
A company's profits can be reinvested or paid out to the company’s shareholders as “dividends."
A Taxing Story: Capital Gains and Losses
Understanding how capital gains are taxed may help you refine your investment strategies.
Types of Stock Market Analysis
Most stock market analysis falls into three broad groups: Fundamental, technical, and sentimental. Here’s a look at each.
Asset Allocation
Consider how your assets are allocated and if that allocation is consistent with your time frame and risk tolerance.
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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.
What Is the Dividend Yield?
This calculator helps determine your pre-tax and after-tax dividend yield on a particular stock.
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.
How Compound Interest Works
Use this calculator to better see the potential impact of compound interest on an asset.
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The Cycle of Investing
Understanding the cycle of investing may help you avoid easy pitfalls.
Bridging the Confidence Gap
In the world of finance, the effects of the "confidence gap" can be especially apparent.
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.
What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?
$1 million in a diversified portfolio could help finance part of your retirement.
Inflation and Your Portfolio
Even low inflation rates can pose a threat to investment returns.