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.

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The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

What if instead of buying that vacation home, you invested the money?

How Stocks Work

How Stocks Work

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

Should I Invest in Gold?

Should I Invest in Gold?

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

The Business Cycle

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

Emotional vs. Strategic Decisions

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

Value vs. Growth Investing

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

Inflation and the Real Rate of Return

Learn about the role of inflation when considering your portfolio’s rate of return with this helpful article.

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

A Primer on Dividends

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

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Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator

Calculate your debt-to-income ratio to understand how lenders may view your financial health.

Comparing Investments

Compare two different scenarios side by side to see how they stack up over time.

Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

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

Student Loan Payoff Calculator: Extra Payments Can Save You

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

How Compound Interest Works

Explore how compound interest can grow your money over time with this interactive tool.

Wedding Budget Calculator

Estimate total wedding costs and see how different choices affect your overall budget.

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Emerging Market Opportunities

What are your options for investing in emerging markets?

Should I Invest in Gold?

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

Jane Bond: Infiltrating the Market

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

Bull and Bear Go To Market

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

The Rule of 72

Do you know how long it may take for your investments to double in value? The Rule of 72 is a quick way to figure it out.

The Junk Drawer Approach to Investing

It's easy to let investments accumulate like old receipts in a junk drawer.

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