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!
The Cycle of Investing

The Cycle of Investing

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

Global vs. International:  What’s the Difference?

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.

What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?

What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?

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

The ABCs of Zero Coupon Bonds

Understanding some basic concepts may help you assess whether zero-coupon bonds have a place in your portfolio.

Risk Perspective

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

Do Our Biases Affect Our Financial Choices?

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

Best-Performing Asset Classes

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

The Great Debate Continues: Active vs. Passive

In investments, one great debate asks the question, “Active or Passive Investing: Which Is Better?”

How Stocks Work

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

View all articles

Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

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

Student Loan Refinance Calculator

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

How Can I Save a Million Dollars?

See what it takes in monthly contributions and time to reach a million-dollar savings goal.

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.

Student Loan Payoff Calculator: Extra Payments Can Save You

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

View all calculators

Behavioral Finance

An amusing and whimsical look at behavioral finance best practices for investors.

Bridging the Confidence Gap

In the world of finance, the effects of the "confidence gap" can be especially apparent.

Should I Invest in Gold?

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

Bull and Bear Go To Market

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

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 Fed and How It Got That Way

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

View all videos