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.

Have A Question About This Topic?

Thank you! Oops!
What Smart Investors Know

What Smart Investors Know

Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.

How Stocks Work

How Stocks Work

Understanding how a stock works is key to understanding your investments.

The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

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

Pullbacks, Corrections, and Bear Markets

When the market experiences volatility, it may be a good time to review these common terms.

Understanding Equity Compensation

Net Unrealized Appreciation and how it affects tax responsibilities.

Investing for Impact

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

Risk Perspective

Is it possible to avoid loss? Not entirely, but you can attempt to manage risk.

A Taxing Story: Capital Gains and Losses

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

Mutual Funds vs. ETFs

Exchange-traded funds have some things in common with mutual funds, but there are differences, too.

View all articles

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.

Bi-Weekly Mortgage Payments

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

Student Loan Refinance Calculator

Compare your current student loan terms to a potential refinance to see if it makes sense.

Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

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

What Is the Dividend Yield?

Calculate the dividend yield of a holding and see what that means for income over time.

Comparing Investments

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

View all calculators

From Boats to Brokers

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

The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

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

Bursting the Bubble

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

The Business Cycle

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

Bull and Bear Go To Market

Learn about the difference between bulls and bears—markets, that is!

Finding the Balance

The sandwich generation faces unique challenges. For many, meeting needs is a matter of finding a balance.

View all videos