Topic
Diversification, asset allocation, fund costs, and how advisers work and are paid.
8 articles
Investing fundamentals
How investors divide money among stocks, bonds and cash, what time horizon and risk tolerance mean, and how rebalancing keeps a portfolio near its intended mix.
4 min read
Investing fundamentals
What diversification means, how it works across and within asset classes, what it cannot do, and how to check whether a set of funds is really diversified.
4 min read
Investing fundamentals
What an emergency fund is, how people decide on an amount, where the money is commonly kept, and how a cash reserve relates to retirement accounts and debt.
4 min read
Investing fundamentals
How mutual fund and ETF costs work: the expense ratio, sales loads, 12b-1 fees and share classes, where each is disclosed, and how to compare funds on cost.
4 min read
Investing fundamentals
The main ways financial professionals are compensated, from commissions to asset-based and flat fees, the conflicts each can create, and where pay is disclosed.
5 min read
Investing fundamentals
How index funds and actively managed funds are built and run, why their costs tend to differ, the risks specific to each, and what to read before choosing either.
4 min read
Investing fundamentals
How target-date funds shift from stocks toward bonds over time, what a glide path is, why funds with the same year can differ, and what to check before using one.
4 min read
Investing fundamentals
What fiduciary duty means, how it applies to investment advisers and retirement plan fiduciaries, and how the standard for broker recommendations compares.
5 min read