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.
Global and International Funds
Investors seeking world investments can choose between global and international funds. What's the difference?
5 Smart Investing Principles
Principles that can help create a portfolio designed to pursue investment goals.
Have A Question About This Topic?

Inflation and Your Portfolio
Even low inflation rates can pose a threat to investment returns.

Earnings for All Seasons
Earnings season can move markets. What is it and why is it important?

The Junk Drawer Approach to Investing
It's easy to let investments accumulate like old receipts in a junk drawer.
Value vs. Growth Investing
Among stock-market investors there’s long been a debate between those who favor value and those who favor growth.
Rebalancing Your Portfolio
Over time, different investments' performances can shift a portfolio’s intent and risk profile. Rebalancing may be critical.
Best-Performing Asset Classes
Bonds may outperform stocks one year only to have stocks rebound the next.
A Taxing Story: Capital Gains and Losses
Understanding how capital gains are taxed may help you refine your investment strategies.
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.
Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President
The Economic Report of the President can help identify the forces driving — or dragging — the economy.
View all articles
Impact of Taxes and Inflation
Estimate the potential impact taxes and inflation can have on the purchasing power of an investment.
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.
What Is My Risk Tolerance?
This questionnaire will help determine your tolerance for investment risk.
Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings
Use this calculator to compare the future value of investments with different tax consequences.
What Is the Dividend Yield?
This calculator helps determine your pre-tax and after-tax dividend yield on a particular stock.
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
Bridging the Confidence Gap
In the world of finance, the effects of the "confidence gap" can be especially apparent.
Can Election Results Predict the Market?
How do the markets usually react to elections? Was the 2016 election any different?
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?
What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?
$1 million in a diversified portfolio could help finance part of your retirement.
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?”