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.
Are Alternative Investments Right for You?
With alternative investments, it’s critical to sort through the complexity.
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How Stocks Work
Understanding how a stock works is key to understanding your investments.
Your Shifting Risk Tolerance
Time and market performance may subtly and slowly imbalance your portfolio.
Emotional vs. Strategic Decisions
Information vs. instinct. Are your choices based on evidence of emotion?
A Primer on Dividends
A company's profits can be reinvested or paid out to the company’s shareholders as “dividends."
The ABCs of Zero Coupon Bonds
Understanding some basic concepts may help you assess whether zero-coupon bonds have a place in your portfolio.
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 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.
What Is My Risk Tolerance?
This questionnaire will help determine your tolerance for investment risk.
Saving for College
This calculator can help you estimate how much you should be saving for college.
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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.
Bursting the Bubble
Tulips were the first, but they won’t be the last. What forms a “bubble” and what causes them to burst?
Are Alternative Investments Right for You?
With alternative investments, it’s critical to sort through the complexity.
Behavioral Finance
An amusing and whimsical look at behavioral finance best practices for investors.
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.
16 Wall Street Cliches in 60 Seconds
Pundits say a lot of things about the markets. Let's see if you can keep up.