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

Are Alternative Investments Right for You?

With alternative investments, it’s critical to sort through the complexity.

Bursting the Bubble

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

Investing for Impact

Learn how to build a socially conscious investment portfolio and invest in your beliefs.

The Cycle of Investing

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

• Articles

  Do Our Biases Affect Our Financial Choices?

  Even the most seasoned investors have biases affecting their financial choices.

  The Utility of Sector Investing

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

  Emotional vs. Strategic Decisions

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

  Value vs. Growth Investing

  Among stock-market investors there’s long been a debate between those who favor value and those who favor growth.

  Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President

  The Economic Report of the President can help identify the forces driving — or dragging — the economy.

  Global vs. International: What’s the Difference?

  International funds invest in non-U.S. markets, while global funds may invest in U.S. stocks alongside non-U.S. stocks.

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• Calculators

  Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator

  Calculate your debt-to-income ratio to understand how lenders may view your financial health.

  College Savings

  See how much you may need to save now to cover future college costs for your child.

  Comparing Investments

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

  Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

  Compare how the same contribution grows differently in taxable versus tax-deferred accounts.

  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.

  Student Loan Payoff Calculator: Extra Payments Can Save You

  See how extra payments toward your student loans could shorten your payoff timeline.

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• Videos

  Are Alternative Investments Right for You?

  With alternative investments, it’s critical to sort through the complexity.

  The Business Cycle

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

  Jane Bond: Infiltrating the Market

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

  Should I Invest in Gold?

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

  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 Cycle of Investing

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

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