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 Cycle of Investing

The Cycle of Investing

Understanding the cycle of investing may help you avoid easy pitfalls.

Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President

Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President

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

Bull and Bear Go To Market

Bull and Bear Go To Market

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

Buying a Home

A look at what you need to think about when buying a home.

The Anatomy of an Index

The S&P 500 represents a large portion of the value of the U.S. equity market, it may be worth understanding.

Best-Performing Asset Classes

Bonds may outperform stocks one year only to have stocks rebound the next.

Emotional vs. Strategic Decisions

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

Do Our Biases Affect Our Financial Choices?

Even the most seasoned investors have biases affecting their financial choices.

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.

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College Savings

See how much you may need to save now to cover future college costs for your child.

What Is the Dividend Yield?

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

Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

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

Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator

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

Student Loan Refinance Calculator

Compare your current student loan terms to a potential refinance to see if it makes sense.

Comparing Investments

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

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The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

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

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?"

Jane Bond: Infiltrating the Market

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

Behavioral Finance

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

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.

The Cycle of Investing

Understanding the cycle of investing may help you avoid easy pitfalls.

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