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.

Featured Presentation

5 Smart Investing Strategies

Getting what you want out of your money may require the right game plan.

Bursting the Bubble

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

A Taxing Story: Capital Gains and Losses

Understanding how capital gains are taxed may help you refine your investment strategies.

The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

What if instead of buying that vacation home, you invested the money?

• Articles

  Inflation and the Real Rate of Return

  Learn about the role of inflation when considering your portfolio’s rate of return with this helpful article.

  Why Regular Rebalancing Makes Sense

  Without your knowing, your investment portfolio could be off-kilter.

  Emotional vs. Strategic Decisions

  Information vs. instinct. Are your choices based on evidence of emotion?

  How to Conquer the World - 5 Financial Strategies for Savvy

  Learn more about women taking control of their finances with this infographic.

  The Pros and Cons of an NUA Strategy

  Learn the advantages of a Net Unrealized Appreciation strategy with this helpful article.

  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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• Calculators

  Saving for College

  This calculator can help you estimate how much you should be saving for college.

  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.

  How Compound Interest Works

  Use this calculator to better see the potential impact of compound interest on an asset.

  Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

  Use this calculator to compare the future value of investments with different tax consequences.

  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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• Presentations

  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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• Videos

  The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

  What if instead of buying that vacation home, you invested the money?

  The Business Cycle

  How will you weather the ups and downs of the business cycle?

  The Cycle of Investing

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

  Jane Bond: Infiltrating the Market

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

  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.

  Inflation and Your Portfolio

  Even low inflation rates can pose a threat to investment returns.

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