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Terms of Use: Investors should always take the critical step of reading the financial statements of the companies they've invested in, or intend to invest in, because financial statements contain important corporate financial information that may not be readily apparent from news releases. Recently, some companies have put out press releases using so-called "pro forma" financial information to highlight what they claim are important portions of their actual financial reports. Investors should kn  More...

Terms of Use: Need some help finding the right path for your financial future? You've come to the right place. We've put together an itinerary that takes in all the basics for your journey to learn more about saving and investing. Traveling down the right road to achieving financial well-being is one of the most important trips that you'll ever make in life. You don't have to be a genius to do it … and you don't have to be rich … you just need to hit the road and get started. At ea  More...

Terms of Use: Define Your Goals This knowledge article is part of a series of knowledge articles aimed to help you define your roadmap to savings and investing. To review the table of contents for the articles, click here . What are the things you want to save and invest for … A home? A new car? Your education or that of a child? A comfortable retirement? The needs of your parents? All of these goals will cost money. To make sure that you will have enough money when you need it, follow t  More...

Terms of Use: The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market—the highest volume market centers in the U.S. today—have traditionally been open for business from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Although trading outside that window—or after-hours trading—has occurred for some time, it has been mostly limited to high net worth investors and institutional investors. But this is changing. Some smaller exchanges have recently extended their hours. And, with the r  More...

Terms of Use: Investors should follow economic news, since the health of the economy affects individual investments. Yet, sometimes press reports about the economy can be difficult to understand. The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has information on their site to help you understand the numbers that frequently appear in media reports. The following is a summary: Output: Gross domestic product (GDP) is the dollar value of the goods and services produced in a specific period. In general, the  More...

Terms of Use: If you are self-employed or own a small business, some retirement saving options you have include contributing to a Simplified Employee Pension IRA (SEP-IRA) or SIMPLE plan (Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees). A SEP-IRA plan is a tax advantaged retirement plan that allows employers to make pretax contributions to their own or their employees' accounts. Earnings in a SEP-IRA grow tax-deferred. Contributions to a SEP-IRA do not impact a participant's ability to contribute t  More...

Terms of Use: More Americans are investing in the stock market and many of them are doing so through the Internet. The price of some stocks can soar and drop suddenly. In these fast markets, when many investors want to trade at the same time and prices change quickly, delays can develop. Executions and confirmations slow down, while reports of prices lag behind actual prices. In these markets, investors can suffer unexpected losses very quickly. Investors trading over the Internet, who are u  More...

Terms of Use: Never invest in a product that you don't fully understand. Consult information sources such as business and financial publications. Information regarding the fundamentals of investing and basic financial terminology can be found at your local library. Ask your sales representative for the prospectus, offering circular, or most recent annual report – and the Options Disclosure Document if you are investing in options. Read them. If you have questions, talk with your sale  More...

Terms of Use: If you are working and have been stashing some of your hard-earned money in a 401(k) retirement program, it's a good idea to review your statements to see where you stand. Financial experts advise checking your investment mix to see if you need to re-balance. Rebalancing refers to the mix of investments in your 401(k). If your stocks are really taking off, it may be time to sell some and move some of the money back into bonds. That way, when bonds do well, you won't be completely o  More...

Terms of Use: Determine Your Risk Tolerance This knowledge article is part of a series of knowledge articles aimed to help you define your roadmap to savings and investing. To review the previous knowledge article in this series, click here . To review the table of contents for the articles, click here . You are approaching the half-way point in your journey to saving and investing. This is a good point to make sure that you understand some key concepts: Savings Your "savings" are usually put in  More...