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 Cycle of Investing

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

Should I Invest in Gold?

Learning more about gold and its history may help you decide whether it has a place in your portfolio.

Diversification, Patience, and Consistency

Three important factors when it comes to your financial life.

What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?

$1 million in a diversified portfolio could help finance part of your retirement.

• Articles

  Types of Stock Market Analysis

  Most stock market analysis falls into three broad groups: Fundamental, technical, and sentimental. Here’s a look at each.

  Bull & Bear Markets: A Timeline

  This helpful infographic will define bull and bear markets, as well as give a historical overview.

  Estimating the Cost of College

  This worksheet can help you estimate the costs of a four-year college program.

  Best-Performing Asset Classes

  Bonds may outperform stocks one year only to have stocks rebound the next.

  The Utility of Sector Investing

  Successful sector investing is dependent upon an accurate analysis about when to rotate in and out.

  What It Takes to Become an Accredited Investor

  What does it take to be an accredited investor? Explore the details, & the types of investments offered to those who qualify.

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• Calculators

  How Long Will Your Money Last?

  See how long a lump sum of savings could last based on your withdrawal rate and return.

  Debt vs. Investment

  Weigh the potential outcomes of paying off debt versus directing those dollars elsewhere.

  Wedding Budget Calculator

  Estimate total wedding costs and see how different choices affect your overall budget.

  The Power of Interest - How Long Will it take My Money to Do

  Use the Rule of 72 to estimate how long it takes your money to double at a given rate.

  Comparing Investments

  Compare two different scenarios side by side to see how they stack up over time.

  Bi-Weekly Mortgage Payments

  See how switching to bi-weekly mortgage payments could reduce interest and shorten your loan.

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• Videos

  The Cycle of Investing

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

  From Boats to Brokers

  From the Dutch East India Company to Wall St., the stock market has a long and storied history.

  The Fed and How It Got That Way

  Here is a quick history of the Federal Reserve and an overview of what it does.

  The Junk Drawer Approach to Investing

  It's easy to let investments accumulate like old receipts in a junk drawer.

  Jane Bond: Infiltrating the Market

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

  16 Wall Street Cliches in 60 Seconds

  Pundits say a lot of things about the markets. Let's see if you can keep up.

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