Investment | Mary Mastick

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.

Should You Invest in Exchange Traded Funds?

There are thousands of ETFs available. Should you invest in them?

5 Smart Investing Principles

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

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What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?

$1 million in a diversified portfolio could help finance part of your retirement.

Bull & Bear Markets: A Timeline

This helpful infographic will define bull and bear markets, as well as give a historical overview.

Bursting the Bubble

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

Best-Performing Asset Classes

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

TIPS for Inflation

If you are concerned about inflation and expect short-term interest rates may increase, TIPS could be worth considering.

The Business Cycle

Understanding the economy's cycles can help put current business conditions in better perspective.

How Stocks Work

Understanding how a stock works is key to understanding your investments.

Do Our Biases Affect Our Financial Choices?

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

Getting a Head Start on College Savings

A few strategies that may help you prepare for the cost of higher education.

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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.

What Is My Risk Tolerance?

This questionnaire will help determine your tolerance for investment risk.

How Compound Interest Works

Use this calculator to better see the potential impact of compound interest on an asset.

What Is the Dividend Yield?

This calculator helps determine your pre-tax and after-tax dividend yield on a particular stock.

Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

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

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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.

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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?”

What Smart Investors Know

Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.

What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?

$1 million in a diversified portfolio could help finance part of your retirement.

Finding the Balance

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