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.
Bridging the Confidence Gap
In the world of finance, the effects of the "confidence gap" can be especially apparent.
5 Smart Investing Principles
Principles that can help create a portfolio designed to pursue investment goals.
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Should I Invest in Gold?
Learning more about gold and its history may help you decide whether it has a place in your portfolio.
The ABCs of Zero Coupon Bonds
Understanding some basic concepts may help you assess whether zero-coupon bonds have a place in your portfolio.
The Rule of 72
Do you know how long it may take for your investments to double in value? The Rule of 72 is a quick way to figure it out.
A Primer on Dividends
A company's profits can be reinvested or paid out to the company’s shareholders as “dividends."
How Stocks Work
Understanding how a stock works is key to understanding your investments.
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.
You Would Rather Be...
Are you a thrill seeker, or content to relax in the backyard? Use this flowchart to find out more about your risk tolerance.
Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President
The Economic Report of the President can help identify the forces driving — or dragging — the economy.
Estimating the Cost of College
This worksheet can help you estimate the costs of a four-year college program.
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Saving for College
This calculator can help you estimate how much you should be saving for college.
What Is My Risk Tolerance?
This questionnaire will help determine your tolerance for investment risk.
How Compound Interest Works
Use this calculator to better see the potential impact of compound interest on an asset.
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.
What Is the Dividend Yield?
This calculator helps determine your pre-tax and after-tax dividend yield on a particular stock.
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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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The Rule of 72
Do you know how long it may take for your investments to double in value? The Rule of 72 is a quick way to figure it out.
Where Is the Market Headed?
We all know the stock market can be unpredictable. We all want to know, “What’s next for the financial markets?”
Bursting the Bubble
Tulips were the first, but they won’t be the last. What forms a “bubble” and what causes them to burst?
What Smart Investors Know
Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.
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 Junk Drawer Approach to Investing
It's easy to let investments accumulate like old receipts in a junk drawer.