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 Business Cycle

The Business Cycle

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

A Taxing Story: Capital Gains and Losses

A Taxing Story: Capital Gains and Losses

Understanding how capital gains are taxed may help you refine your investment strategies.

Are Alternative Investments Right for You?

Are Alternative Investments Right for You?

With alternative investments, it’s critical to sort through the complexity.

Asset Allocation

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

A Look at Diversification

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

The Pros and Cons of an NUA Strategy

Learn the advantages of a Net Unrealized Appreciation strategy with this helpful article.

Estimating the Cost of College

This worksheet can help you estimate the costs of a four-year college program.

Diversification, Patience, and Consistency

Three important factors when it comes to your financial life.

How Stocks Work

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

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Wedding Budget Calculator

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

Monthly Budget

Track your monthly income and expenses to get a clearer view of your cash flow.

How Compound Interest Works

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

Student Loan Payoff Calculator: Extra Payments Can Save You

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

Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

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

What Is the Dividend Yield?

Calculate the dividend yield of a holding and see what that means for income over time.

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It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times

All about how missing the best market days (or the worst!) might affect your portfolio.

Should I Invest in Gold?

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

Behavioral Finance

An amusing and whimsical look at behavioral finance best practices for investors.

The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

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

What Smart Investors Know

Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.

Bursting the Bubble

Tulips were the first, but they won’t be the last. What forms a “bubble” and what causes them to burst?

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