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 Fed and How It Got That Way
Here is a quick history of the Federal Reserve and an overview of what it does.
5 Smart Investing Principles
Principles that can help create a portfolio designed to pursue investment goals.
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The Real Cost of a Vacation Home
What if instead of buying that vacation home, you invested the money?

Investing with Your Heart
For some, the social impact of investing is just as important as the return, perhaps more important.

From Boats to Brokers
From the Dutch East India Company to Wall Street, the stock market has a long and storied history.
Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President
The Economic Report of the President can help identify the forces driving — or dragging — the economy.
Do Our Biases Affect Our Financial Choices?
Even the most seasoned investors have biases affecting their financial choices.
How Stocks Work
Understanding how a stock works is key to understanding your investments.
Your Shifting Risk Tolerance
Time and market performance may subtly and slowly imbalance your portfolio.
A Taxing Story: Capital Gains and Losses
Understanding how capital gains are taxed may help you refine your investment strategies.
The ABCs of Zero Coupon Bonds
Understanding some basic concepts may help you assess whether zero-coupon bonds have a place in your portfolio.
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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.
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.
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.
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5 Smart Investing Principles
Principles that can help create a portfolio designed to pursue investment goals.
5 Smart Investing Strategies
There are some smart strategies that may help you pursue your investment objectives
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The Fed and How It Got That Way
Here is a quick history of the Federal Reserve and an overview of what it does.
Finding the Balance
The sandwich generation faces unique challenges. For many, meeting needs is a matter of finding a balance.
Bridging the Confidence Gap
In the world of finance, the effects of the "confidence gap" can be especially apparent.
Jane Bond: Infiltrating the Market
Agent Jane Bond is on the case, cracking the code on bonds.
Should I Invest in Gold?
Learning more about gold and its history may help you decide whether it has a place in your portfolio.
Inflation and Your Portfolio
Even low inflation rates can pose a threat to investment returns.