Investment | Financial Council

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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Investments

You’ve made investments your whole life. Work with us to help make the most of them.

How to Invest in LGBTQ+ Friendly Companies

This article allows those who support LGBTQ+ interests to explore the possibilities of Socially Responsible Investing.

What Smart Investors Know

Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.

A Taxing Story: Capital Gains and Losses

Understanding how capital gains are taxed may help you refine your investment strategies.

The Great Debate Continues: Active vs. Passive

In investments, one great debate asks the question, “Active or Passive Investing: Which Is Better?”

The Sequence of Returns

A look at how variable rates of return impact investors over time.

How Financial Professionals Are Compensated

Read this overview to learn how financial advisors are compensated.

You Would Rather Be...

Are you a thrill seeker, or content to relax in the backyard? Use this flowchart to find out more about your risk tolerance.

Risk Perspective

Is it possible to avoid loss? Not entirely, but you can attempt to manage risk.

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The Business Cycle

How will you weather the ups and downs of the business cycle?

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.

Finding the Balance

The sandwich generation faces unique challenges. For many, meeting needs is a matter of finding a balance.

Bridging the Confidence Gap

In the world of finance, the effects of the "confidence gap" can be especially apparent.

What Smart Investors Know

Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.

The Rule of 72

Do you know how long it may take for your investments to double in value? The Rule of 72 is a quick way to figure it out.

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Articles

Do Our Biases Affect Our Financial Choices?

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

You Would Rather Be...

Are you a thrill seeker, or content to relax in the backyard? Use this flowchart to find out more about your risk tolerance.

Pullbacks, Corrections, and Bear Markets

When the market experiences volatility, it may be a good time to review these common terms.

Rebalancing Your Portfolio

Over time, different investments' performances can shift a portfolio’s intent and risk profile. Rebalancing may be critical.

Inflation & Your Money

It's important to understand how inflation is reported and how it can affect investments.

The Anatomy of an Index

The S&P 500 represents a large portion of the value of the U.S. equity market, it may be worth understanding.

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Videos

What Can a Million Dollars Buy You?

$1 million in a diversified portfolio could help finance part of your retirement.

The Business Cycle

How will you weather the ups and downs of the business cycle?

Inflation and Your Portfolio

Even low inflation rates can pose a threat to investment returns.

The Junk Drawer Approach to Investing

It's easy to let investments accumulate like old receipts in a junk drawer.

Bursting the Bubble

Tulips were the first, but they won’t be the last. What forms a “bubble” and what causes them to burst?

The Fed and How It Got That Way

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

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