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
Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.
5 Smart Investing Principles
Principles that can help create a portfolio designed to pursue investment goals.
Have A Question About This Topic?

Should You Invest in Exchange Traded Funds?
There are hundreds of ETFs available. Should you invest in them?

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.

Jane Bond: Infiltrating the Market
Agent Jane Bond is on the case, cracking the code on bonds.
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.
Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President
The Economic Report of the President can help identify the forces driving — or dragging — the economy.
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
How Stocks Work
Understanding how a stock works is key to understanding your investments.
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.
Your Shifting Risk Tolerance
Time and market performance may subtly and slowly imbalance your portfolio.
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.
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.
How Compound Interest Works
Use this calculator to better see the potential impact of compound interest on an asset.
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
5 Smart Investing Principles
Principles that can help create a portfolio designed to pursue investment goals.
View all presentations
Should You Invest in Exchange Traded Funds?
There are hundreds of ETFs available. Should you invest in them?
Jane Bond: Infiltrating the Market
Agent Jane Bond is on the case, cracking the code on bonds.
16 Wall Street Cliches in 60 Seconds
Pundits say a lot of things about the markets. Let's see if you can keep up.
Emerging Market Opportunities
What are your options for investing in emerging markets?
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?”
The Fed and How It Got That Way
Here is a quick history of the Federal Reserve and an overview of what it does.