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.
The Business Cycle
How will you weather the ups and downs of the business cycle?
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Bursting the Bubble
Tulips were the first, but they won’t be the last. What forms a “bubble” and what causes them to burst?
Do Our Biases Affect Our Financial Choices?
Even the most seasoned investors have biases affecting their financial choices.
Finding the Balance
The sandwich generation faces unique challenges. For many, meeting needs is a matter of finding a balance.
Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President
The Economic Report of the President can help identify the forces driving — or dragging — the economy.
Investing with Your Heart
For some, the social impact of investing is just as important as the return, perhaps more important.
The ABCs of Zero Coupon Bonds
Understanding some basic concepts may help you assess whether zero-coupon bonds have a place in your portfolio.
Getting a Head Start on College Savings
A few strategies that may help you prepare for the cost of higher education.
A Primer on Dividends
A company's profits can be reinvested or paid out to the company’s shareholders as “dividends."
The Business Cycle
Understanding the economy's cycles can help put current business conditions in better perspective.
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What Is My Risk Tolerance?
This questionnaire will help determine your tolerance for investment risk.
Impact of Taxes and Inflation
Estimate the potential impact taxes and inflation can have on the purchasing power of an investment.
How Compound Interest Works
Use this calculator to better see the potential impact of compound interest on an asset.
Saving for College
This calculator can help you estimate how much you should be saving for college.
What Is the Dividend Yield?
This calculator helps determine your pre-tax and after-tax dividend yield on a particular stock.
Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings
Use this calculator to compare the future value of investments with different tax consequences.
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Are Alternative Investments Right for You?
With alternative investments, it’s critical to sort through the complexity.
Bull and Bear Go To Market
Learn about the difference between bulls and bears—markets, that is!
What Smart Investors Know
Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.
The Fed and How It Got That Way
Here is a quick history of the Federal Reserve and an overview of what it does.
16 Wall Street Cliches in 60 Seconds
Pundits say a lot of things about the markets. Let's see if you can keep up.
Jane Bond: Scaling the Ladder
Agent Jane Bond is on the case, uncovering the mystery of bond laddering.