Investing for major financial goals

The first step in investing is defining your dreams for the future. If you are married or in a long-term relationship, spend some time together... Read the full article

Understanding risk

Few terms in personal finance are as important, or used as frequently, as "risk." Nevertheless, few terms are as imprecisely defined. Generally, when... Read the full article

Six keys to successful investing

A successful investor maximizes gain and minimizes loss. Though there can be no guarantee that any investment strategy will be successful and all... Read the full article

Annuities and retirement planning

Annuities come in many different forms. There are immediate and deferred annuities, with both fixed and variable rates. However, whatever the type of... Read the full article

Understanding investment terms and concepts

Don't worry if you can't understand the experts in the financial media right away. Much of what they say is jargon that is actually less complicated... Read the full article

Qualified and nonqualified annuities

You may have heard that IRAs and employer-sponsored plans (e.g., 401(k)s) are the best ways to invest for retirement. That's true for many people,... Read the full article

Asset Allocation

Asset allocation is a common strategy that you can use to construct an investment portfolio. Asset allocation isn't about picking individual... Read the full article

Other investments

A well-diversified investment portfolio contains a mix of stocks, bonds, short-term cash investments, and savings accounts that is tailored to your... Read the full article