Investment | Travis Wasson, CFP®

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.

It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times

All about how missing the best market days (or the worst!) might affect your portfolio.

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5 Smart Investing Principles

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

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The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

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

Mutual Funds vs. ETFs

Exchange-traded funds have some things in common with mutual funds, but there are differences, too.

Bull and Bear Go To Market

Learn about the difference between bulls and bears—markets, that is!

Do Our Biases Affect Our Financial Choices?

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

How Financial Professionals Are Compensated

Read this overview to learn how financial advisors are compensated.

Bull & Bear Markets: A Timeline

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

Estimating the Cost of College

This worksheet can help you estimate the costs of a four-year college program.

Best-Performing Asset Classes

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

A Primer on Dividends

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

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Contributing to an IRA?

Determine if you are eligible to contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA.

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.

Saving for College

This calculator can help you estimate how much you should be saving for college.

Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

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

What Is the Dividend Yield?

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

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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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Global and International Funds

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

The Fed and How It Got That Way

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

When Markets React

When markets shift, experienced investors stick to their strategy.

Should I Invest in Gold?

Learning more about gold and its history may help you decide whether it has a place in your portfolio.