Podcasts

Computer security experts point out that economic cyber-crime continues to surge. Phishing attacks have increased significantly since they were first discovered in 2005. These scams typically use bogus emails to lure you into giving the scammers your personal information. But you can arm yourself with knowledge. We have three tips to help protect you from cyber criminals looking to steal your money.

Computer security experts point out that economic cyber-crime continues to surge. Phishing attacks have increased significantly since they were first discovered in 2005. These scams typically use bogus emails to lure you into giving the scammers your personal information. But you can arm yourself with knowledge. We have three tips to help protect you from cyber criminals looking to steal your money.

After sitting on the sidelines for several years, more and more individual investors are gradually returning to the stock market. Now may be a good time to figure out how stocks work if you’re interested in investing. Keep in mind that past performance is no guarantee of future returns.

After sitting on the sidelines for several years, more and more individual investors are gradually returning to the stock market. Now may be a good time to figure out how stocks work if you’re interested in investing. Keep in mind that past performance is no guarantee of future returns.

Markets move every day, and your investment priorities can change over time. So it’s important to stay on top of how your portfolio is performing. It’s also crucial to keep track of your investments, so minor mistakes don’t turn into bigger problems, whether you work with an investment professional or trade on your own.

Markets move every day, and your investment priorities can change over time. So it’s important to stay on top of how your portfolio is performing. It’s also crucial to keep track of your investments, so minor mistakes don’t turn into bigger problems, whether you work with an investment professional or trade on your own.

You wouldn’t buy laundry detergent without comparing features and prices among brands. Or a smart phone. Or a car. Yet most Americans either don’t comparison shop for financial products—like credit cards, car loans and mortgages—or conduct only limited searches for the best price or terms. Shopping around for financial products makes good sense and can save you money.

You wouldn’t buy laundry detergent without comparing features and prices among brands. Or a smart phone. Or a car. Yet most Americans either don’t comparison shop for financial products—like credit cards, car loans and mortgages—or conduct only limited searches for the best price or terms. Shopping around for financial products makes good sense and can save you money.

Turn on any financial news channel and you’ll likely see money managers discussing their recommendations for asset allocation. They usually point out what percentage of the financial assets they manage is invested in stocks, bonds and cash or cash equivalents. You too can decide what portion of your total portfolio to invest in different asset categories.

All mutual funds charge fees. The higher the fees you pay while owning a mutual fund, the lower the return you can make from your fund shares. Even a small percentage difference in the fees among funds can add up to a big difference in the dollars you can make. It's important to be aware of all the fees associated with a mutual fund investment.

With the unemployment rate slowly falling, many Americans are seeing a healthier job market and trying to get their financial lives back on track. To help, we've come up with five tips for building a brighter financial future. They're based on the findings of the FINRA Investor Education Foundation's National Financial Capability Study of more than 25,000 Americans.

Every year, companies raise billions of dollars in non-public securities offerings, known as private placements, which are exempt from registration under federal securities laws. Private placements are an important source of capital for American business, especially small or start-up companies. But investing in private placements is risky and can tie up your money for a long time. It's important to understand whether they are the right investment for you.

One of the most important tips to remember as a consumer is, "know what you're buying." This applies to investing in stocks as well. There are more than 20,000 companies with shares trading either on a U.S. exchange or over-the-counter. With so many companies and trading symbols, it's easy to get confused—and even more reason to research any investment carefully before buying stock.

When it comes to financial fraud, America is a nation at risk. More than 8 in 10 Americans have been solicited for potential fraudulent offers. Far too few are able to detect fraudulent sales pitches. With our tips you can learn to protect yourself from financial scams.

It can be easy to fall into debt. But just because you’re in debt now doesn’t mean you have to stay that way. Whether your debt is large or small, these six tips can help you get going.