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

Jane Bond: Decoding Diversification

Agent Jane Bond is on the case, discovering how bonds diversify a portfolio.

Featured Presentation

5 Smart Investing Strategies

Getting what you want out of your money may require the right game plan.

Jane Bond: Infiltrating the Market

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

Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President

The Economic Report of the President can help identify the forces driving — or dragging — the economy.

When Markets React

When markets shift, experienced investors stick to their strategy.

• Articles

  A Primer on Dividends

  A company's profits can be reinvested or paid out to the company’s shareholders as “dividends."

  Types of Stock Market Analysis

  Most stock market analysis falls into three broad groups: Fundamental, technical, and sentimental. Here’s a look at each.

  Asset Allocation

  Consider how your assets are allocated and if that allocation is consistent with your time frame and risk tolerance.

  How Financial Professionals Are Compensated

  Read this overview to learn how financial advisors are compensated.

  Value vs. Growth Investing

  Among stock-market investors there’s long been a debate between those who favor value and those who favor growth.

  The Business Cycle

  Understanding the economy's cycles can help put current business conditions in better perspective.

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• Calculators

  Impact of Taxes and Inflation

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

  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.

  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.

  How Compound Interest Works

  Use this calculator to better see the potential impact of compound interest on an asset.

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• Presentations

  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.

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• Videos

  From Boats to Brokers

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

  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?”

  16 Wall Street Cliches in 60 Seconds

  Pundits say a lot of things about the markets. Let's see if you can keep up.

  When Markets React

  When markets shift, experienced investors stick to their strategy.

  Inflation and Your Portfolio

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

  Events on Wall Street

  Can successful investors predict changes in the markets? Some can but others miss the market’s signals.

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