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

Finding the Balance

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

Featured Presentation

5 Smart Investing Principles

Principles that can help create a portfolio designed to pursue investment goals.

What Smart Investors Know

Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.

Bull & Bear Markets: A Timeline

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

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.

• Articles

  The Anatomy of an Index

  The S&P 500 represents a large portion of the value of the U.S. equity market, it may be worth understanding.

  A Decision Not Made Is Still a Decision

  Investors who put off important investment decisions may face potential consequence to their future financial security.

  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."

  All Muni Bonds Are Not Created Equal

  Gaining a better understanding of municipal bonds makes more sense than ever.

  How Financial Professionals Are Compensated

  Read this overview to learn how financial advisors are compensated.

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• Calculators

  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.

  Contributing to an IRA?

  Determine if you are eligible to contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA.

  Impact of Taxes and Inflation

  Estimate the potential impact taxes and inflation can have on the purchasing power of an investment.

  Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

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

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• Presentations

  5 Smart Investing Principles

  Principles that can help create a portfolio designed to pursue investment goals.

  View all presentations

• Videos

  The Fed and How It Got That Way

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

  What Smart Investors Know

  Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.

  Finding the Balance

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

  Where Is the Market Headed?

  We all know the stock market can be unpredictable. We all want to know, “What’s next for the financial markets?”

  From Boats to Brokers

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

  When Markets React

  When markets shift, experienced investors stick to their strategy.

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