Investor Education Center

If you're considering a fixed annuity, bond funds may be a desirable alternative

Tax-loss harvesting can help reduce your income taxes—sometimes significantly. It may also help put money back in your pocket.

Once you turn 50, 'catch-up' contributions can make a big difference

A proper combination of U.S. and foreign equity and bond securities may offer you the best opportunity to reach your goals.

With interest rates near all-time lows, extra fixed-income interest investments may not work for you

Roth IRAs offer tax-free retirement income and more flexibility than standard IRAs; conversions may, or may not, be best for you.

What, exactly, is a variable annuity? A fixed annuity?

It takes discipline to regularly set money aside for investing; develop a plan that fits your needs and goals and stay with it.

You may find that getting started isn't as difficult as you imagined

Many people attempt to time the market and end up buying when the price is high and selling when the price is low

Target date funds are designed to provide diversification without monitoring or changing investments

Regular contributions to workplace retirement accounts illustrate how dollar cost averaging can help accumulate retirement assets

Investment clubs can be a valuable resource for novice investors

The Madoff scandal showed the need to understand your investments, regardless of whether you invest on your own or pay an advisor.

It’s not enough to just put money away for retirement; you also need to monitor your accounts on a regular basis.

As retirement nears, do you know how much money you’ll need? It’s estimated you’ll need about 80 percent of pre-retirement income.

Do you know if your advisor is commission-based, fee-based or paid hourly?

529 education plans offer several general benefits, but also include enough disadvantages that they may not be the best option.

When a fund with consistent performance changes managers, it might be cause for concern

When looking for funds, identify managers who’ve been able to produce the most consistent performances over a long period of time.

In the mutual fund industry, strong marketing does not necessarily equal a good fund

Loads, or sales charges, do not help fund managers make better buy, sell and hold decisions on behalf of their shareholders.

Ultimately, what matters most is what your funds pay you, not what you pay them.

Buy and hold should not be confused with buy and forget; accounts require regular monitoring to ensure acceptable performance.

RMDs are most commonly taken from traditional IRAs, workplace retirement plan accounts or self-employed retirement plan accounts.

Portfolio diversification across asset classes is a challenge; it may be easier with mutual funds instead of stocks.

Do you feel an urge to react to negative economic and market news? Does it make sense to make changes to your portfolio?

Certain assets outperform others over time and change portfolio characteristics; rebalance to keep your risk and return in place.

Regardless of other goals—funding college, a vacation home, etc.—saving for your retirement should be your long-term priority.

Because of issues with other options, moving qualified retirement assets to a self-directed IRA provides benefit and flexibility.

After all is said and done, just like it is for anything, the question is: are you getting a good value for your money?

Save a little bit regularly in order to end up with a sufficiently-sized nest egg to sustain your desired lifestyle in retirement.

You must decide how much risk you’re willing to take and how much volatility is acceptable within your portfolio.

Fund companies are required to pass through net capital gains their funds incur as managers sell securities from their funds.

Actively-managed funds offer advantages over index funds in that managers are not forced to own shares of any specific company.

Variable annuities’ complexity, high commissions, high expenses, lack of liquidity and tax treatments not for most investors.

If an advisor offers independent advice, all decisions about your assets are without the influence of any extra compensation.

Some combination of bond funds is appropriate in most investor’s portfolios depending on goals, income and other factors.

The success of a fund is largely the result of efforts by its manager, the person who makes daily buy, sell and hold decisions.

A bond is a security resulting from a borrower’s promise to repay investors by a certain date money they lend plus interest.