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!
Should You Invest in Exchange Traded Funds?

Should You Invest in Exchange Traded Funds?

There are thousands of ETFs available. Should you invest in them?

How the Federal Reserve Works

How the Federal Reserve Works

Each day, the Fed is behind the scenes supporting the economy and providing services to the U.S. financial system.

The Business Cycle

The Business Cycle

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

How Stocks Work

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

Getting a Head Start on College Savings

A few strategies that may help you prepare for the cost of higher education.

What’s Your Investment IQ?

You make decisions for your portfolio, but how much do you really know about the products you buy? Try this quiz

Emotional vs. Strategic Decisions

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

Investment Challenges of the Affluent Investor

Affluent investors face unique challenges when putting together an investment strategy. Make sure you keep these in mind.

A Look at Diversification

Diversification is an investment principle designed to manage risk, but it can't prevent against a loss.

View all articles

Contributing to an IRA?

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

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.

Saving for College

This calculator can help you estimate how much you should be saving for college.

Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

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

What Is the Dividend Yield?

This calculator helps determine your pre-tax and after-tax dividend yield on a particular stock.

View all calculators

5 Smart Investing Strategies

There are some smart strategies that may help you pursue your investment objectives

5 Smart Investing Principles

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

View all presentations

From Boats to Brokers

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

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: Infiltrating the Market

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

When Markets React

When markets shift, experienced investors stick to their strategy.

Bull and Bear Go To Market

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

Inflation and Your Portfolio

Even low inflation rates can pose a threat to investment returns.

View all videos