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 Strategies
Getting what you want out of your money may require the right game plan.
The Real Cost of a Vacation Home
What if instead of buying that vacation home, you invested the money?
Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President
The Economic Report of the President can help identify the forces driving — or dragging — the economy.
Inflation and Your Portfolio
Even low inflation rates can pose a threat to investment returns.
Value vs. Growth Investing
Among stock-market investors there’s long been a debate between those who favor value and those who favor growth.
You Would Rather Be...
Are you a thrill seeker, or content to relax in the backyard? Use this flowchart to find out more about your risk tolerance.
A Primer on Dividends
A company's profits can be reinvested or paid out to the company’s shareholders as “dividends."
Mutual Funds vs. ETFs
Exchange-traded funds have some things in common with mutual funds, but there are differences, too.
The Business Cycle
Understanding the economy's cycles can help put current business conditions in better perspective.
Investing with Your Heart
For some, the social impact of investing is just as important as the return, perhaps more important.
View all articles 
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.
Contributing to an IRA?
Determine if you are eligible to contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA.
What Is the Dividend Yield?
This calculator helps determine your pre-tax and after-tax dividend yield on a particular stock.
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.
View all calculators
5 Smart Investing Strategies
There are some smart strategies that may help you pursue your investment objectives
View all presentations
When Markets React
When markets shift, experienced investors stick to their strategy.
What Smart Investors Know
Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.
16 Wall Street Cliches in 60 Seconds
Pundits say a lot of things about the markets. Let's see if you can keep up.
The Business Cycle
How will you weather the ups and downs of the business cycle?
Emerging Market Opportunities
What are your options for investing in emerging markets?
Bursting the Bubble
Tulips were the first, but they won’t be the last. What forms a “bubble” and what causes them to burst?