Smart Investing
Explore our Financial Educational Resource Hub. Whether you're just starting out or looking to brush up on your investing skills, we'll help you make smarter decisions about saving, investing and protecting your money.
Why Start Investing?
Starting to invest is a smart move because it offers the potential for your money to grow over time. It’s a way to build wealth, beat inflation and work towards your financial goals. Our Financial Education Hub provides valuable resources to help you improve your financial literacy and make more informed investment decisions.
Why Is Investing Important?
Whether you are concerned about retirement or want to build wealth for another reason, there are several arguments for investing. Here are some of them.
Read MoreThere are 4 Actionable Steps to Get Started:
Define Your Investment Goals
What do you want your money to do for you? Clearly defining your investment endgame lays the foundation for how you will be investing.
Decide on Your Investing Strategy
Your investment strategy is comprised of 3 main components: Your investing approach, your investing style and your investment mix.
Set up Investment Accounts
Open up the appropriate investment accounts. There are many different types of investment accounts that you can leverage in order to minimize your tax bill down the road.
Rebalance and Adjust as Necessary
Over time, your desired investment allocations (and your risk profile) can change due to the under/over performance of the assets in your portfolio.
What to Invest In?
Understanding the different types of investment vehicles
Stocks
A stock is a piece of a company. Even if you own just one share of stock, you are a shareholder and you own part of that company. Of all investment types, stocks carry some of the best potential for long-term returns, however, stocks are also riskier than other investments.
Read the ArticleBonds
A bond is a loan to a company or government. So buying a bond means you're loaning your money. Why would you do that? For the same reason a bank gives you a mortgage: to make money on the interest.
Read the ArticleETFs
Exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a basket of stocks that itself trades on stock exchanges. That means it trades just like individual company stocks, but you don't have to shell out a month's pay to get in the game.
Read the ArticleMutual Fund
This is a hugely popular investment vehicle that owns a bunch of assets. Those can be stocks, bonds, commodities, cash—even other mutual funds. So, when you buy shares in a mutual fund, you indirectly own shares in its underlying assets.
Read the ArticleCryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency is digital money that doesn't require a bank or financial institution to verify transactions and can be used for purchases or as an investment.
Read the ArticleCommodities
Commodities are essential raw materials that power our daily lives. They encompass a broad range of goods, from agricultural products like wheat and coffee to industrial materials such as oil and gold.
Read the ArticleInvesting 101
Stock exchanges are particular networks within the broader stock market where stockbrokers meet. Exchanges provide companies with the opportunity to grow and flourish in their respective countries.
In the United States, most stock markets are open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time; in London 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time; in Tokyo 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. local time.
Dividends are cash or stock rewards paid to investors, usually out of company profits. You can almost think of it as a gift, meaning companies are under no obligation to hand out dividends, and most don't.
Every stock exchange writes its own rules for corporations that want to trade their stock there. These rules can include how long the company has existed, how many shares are held publicly, and how much net income the company reports. Because the Nasdaq is open to listing smaller, newer companies than the NYSE, most U.S. IPOs are launched there. At the same time, each exchange must follow rules set by a larger governing body—in the United States, that would be the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
If you've ever listened to the financial news, you know that the Dow, the S&P and the Nasdaq go for a ride every day. They're market indices, and while it's obvious that many people pay attention to them, it may not be so obvious why they do.
Simply put, a market index lumps a bunch of stocks together into a weighted average. Each index uses a different methodology to choose and weigh stocks, but the general idea is that over time the index's performance serves up a quick overview of the market. Knowing each index's quirks can help you get better at filtering and interpreting the information they offer you. That means you'll be better at putting what you learn into action.
The three indices used most in the U.S. are the Nasdaq Composite Index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 Index.
Visualizing the Stock Market
Buying Stocks 101
Is This Stock Worth Buying?
Analysis can take some of the mystery out of investing in stocks.
Learn MoreWhat Is A Stock Order?
To buy a stock, you need to use a stock trade order. Read to learn more about the different types of stock orders and their uses.
Learn MoreAll About Bonds
A Primer on Buying Bonds
How do you actually buy bonds, and what do you look for? We walk you through that process here.
Learn MoreThe Interest-ing Thing About Bonds
Bonds are all about interest rates, and a rising interest rate isn't always a good thing for bonds.
Learn MorePersonal Finance Basics for Investors
Learn more about budgeting, saving, and other things important for financial stability.
Retirement
Learn how to start saving for retirement now using the 401(k) plan, an employer sponsored plan with a lot of advantages.
How to Save for Retirement in the US: The 401(k) Plan Yes, You Should Invest for Retirement Now (US)Taxes
Taxes are mandatory fees, so learn more about what they are and how to file for them here.
What Are Taxes?Savings
Learn why savings are important to financial wellbeing, different reasons why you would save, and how to start saving!
Why, When, and How to Save?Budgeting
Budgeting is an important skill to develop for anyone looking to have a better handle on their financial success.
Budgeting 101: How to Plan for Financial SuccessInvesting Strategies: Guide for Beginners
Learn about a few beginner-friendly investment strategies.
Investment Strategies To Learn
Here are strategies you should consider before you begin.
An Overview of Factor Investing
Factor investing involves buying stocks with certain characteristics, including value, momentum, size, low volatility and quality in an attempt to find winning stocks.
Read the ArticleHow To Be a Value Investor
We explore the benefits of being a value investor, and how to find success using this method.
Read the ArticleSmall-Cap Value Stock Investing
Small-cap value stocks have been one of the top-performing style and size categories in U.S. stocks over the long-term.
Read the ArticleStock Investing Using Momentum
We explore momentum and how investors can use it in their strategy.
Read the ArticleGrowth Investing with a Value Twist
Growth and value investing intersect with an approach called growth-at-a-reasonable price investing (GARP).
Read the ArticleInvesting in the Dividend Aristocrats
The Dividend Aristocrats are a select group of companies that have been increasing their dividends for over 25 years.
Learn MoreHigh Shareholder Yield Stocks
Shareholder yield goes beyond dividend yield and captures all the different ways a company can return cash to shareholders.
Read the ArticleHigh Quality Stock Investing
Many investors favor high quality businesses. We explore what high quality investing is and how to spot quality when you see it.
Learn MoreWide Moat Stock Investing
Finding companies with wide moats around their businesses and competitive advantages can lead to great long-term returns.
Read the ArticleLow Volatility Stock Investing
Investing in low volatility stocks may help improve your risk-adjusted returns.
Learn More