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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Investments

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5 Smart Investing Principles

Principles that can help create a portfolio designed to pursue investment goals.

The Junk Drawer Approach to Investing

It's easy to let investments accumulate like old receipts in a junk drawer.

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.

Are Alternative Investments Right for You?

With alternative investments, it’s critical to sort through the complexity.

• Articles

  Asset Allocation

  Consider how your assets are allocated and if that allocation is consistent with your time frame and risk tolerance.

  Earnings for All Seasons

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

  Best-Performing Asset Classes

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

  The Ivory Tower Changes Wall Street

  Thanks to the work of three economists, we have a better understanding of what determines an asset’s price.

  A Primer on Dividends

  A company's profits can be reinvested or paid out to the company’s shareholders as “dividends."

  Value vs. Growth Investing

  Among stock-market investors there’s long been a debate between those who favor value and those who favor growth.

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• Calculators

  Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

  Use this calculator to compare the future value of investments with different tax consequences.

  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.

  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.

  Impact of Taxes and Inflation

  Estimate the potential impact taxes and inflation can have on the purchasing power of an investment.

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• Presentations

  5 Smart Investing Principles

  Principles that can help create a portfolio designed to pursue investment goals.

  5 Smart Investing Strategies

  There are some smart strategies that may help you pursue your investment objectives

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• Videos

  The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

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

  Finding the Balance

  The sandwich generation faces unique challenges. For many, meeting needs is a matter of finding a balance.

  The Fed and How It Got That Way

  Here is a quick history of the Federal Reserve and an overview of what it does.

  Global and International Funds

  Investors seeking world investments can choose between global and international funds. What's the difference?

  Bursting the Bubble

  Tulips were the first, but they won’t be the last. What forms a “bubble” and what causes them to burst?

  Jane Bond: Infiltrating the Market

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

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