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.
What Smart Investors Know
Smart investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.
5 Smart Investing Strategies
Getting what you want out of your money may require the right game plan.
Have A Question About This Topic?

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

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

Bursting the Bubble
Tulips were the first, but they won’t be the last. What forms a “bubble” and what causes them to burst?
How Stocks Work
Understanding how a stock works is key to understanding your investments.
A Primer on Dividends
A company's profits can be reinvested or paid out to the company’s shareholders as “dividends."
The Investment Risk No One’s Ever Heard Of
You face a risk for which the market does not compensate you, that can not be easily reduced through diversification.
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.
Best Performing Asset Classes
Bonds may outperform stocks one year only to have stocks rebound the next.
Investment Challenges of the Affluent Investor
Affluent investors face unique challenges when putting together an investment strategy. Make sure you keep these in mind.
View all articles
Saving for College
This calculator can help you estimate how much you should be saving for college.
Contributing to an IRA?
Determine if you are eligible to contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA.
Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings
Use this calculator to compare the future value of investments with different tax consequences.
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.
How Compound Interest Works
Use this calculator to better see the potential impact of compound interest on an asset.
View all calculators
5 Smart Investing Strategies
There are some smart strategies that may help you pursue your investment objectives
View all presentations
Jane Bond: Infiltrating the Market
Agent Jane Bond is on the case, cracking the code on bonds.
Should You Invest in Exchange Traded Funds?
There are hundreds of ETFs available. Should you invest in them?
Jane Bond: Decoding Diversification
Agent Jane Bond is on the case, discovering how bonds diversify a portfolio.
What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?
$1 million in a diversified portfolio could help finance part of your retirement.
From Boats to Brokers
From the Dutch East India Company to Wall Street, the stock market has a long and storied history.
Emerging Market Opportunities
What are your options for investing in emerging markets?