What is the Federal Reserve?
The Federal Reserve ("the Fed") is the central banking system of the US and just about everything it carries out influences your financial decisions.
Jasmine Suarez
Senior Editor, Personal Finance Insider
Rollover IRA: Your guide to transferring retirement funds
Learn how to roll over your retirement account into an IRA. Understand the process, benefits, and eligibility, and avoid potential tax pitfalls.
How to Invest in Stocks: A Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to start investing in the stock market, from opening a brokerage account to choosing stocks, and managing your portfolio.
Understanding the Rule of 72: A Key to Investment Growth
Discover the rule of 72, a formula that helps you estimate how long it will take for your portfolio to double in value. Learn how to use this strategy to accelerate growth.
Penny Stocks: High-Risk, High-Reward Investments
Learn about penny stocks, their risks and potential rewards, how to find them, and strategies for investing wisely.
Penny Stocks: High-Risk, High-Reward Investments
Learn about penny stocks, their risks and potential rewards, how to find them, and strategies for investing wisely.
How to Invest in Stocks: A Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to start investing in the stock market, from opening a brokerage account to choosing stocks, and managing your portfolio.
Understanding the Rule of 72: A Key to Investment Growth
Discover the rule of 72, a formula that helps you estimate how long it will take for your portfolio to double in value. Learn how to use this strategy to accelerate growth.
The Federal Reserve is the central bank of the US — here's why it's so powerful and how it affects your financial life
The Federal Reserve ("the Fed") is the central banking system of the US and just about everything it carries out influences your financial decisions.
How to buy treasury bonds, one of the safest ways to invest for income
Treasury bonds, notes, and bills are prized by income-seeking investors because they are low-risk and highly liquid. Here's how to buy them.
Investment income is money earned by your financial assets or accounts, and understanding how it works can help maximize your profits
Investment income, money earned by financial assets or accounts, comes in three forms: interest, dividends, capital gains. Each is taxed differently.
Dividends are payments made by a company to its shareholders — here's how they work
Dividends are periodic payments made to shareholders of a company, fund, or partnership. While not an obligation, they signal a profitable business.
What is the Roth IRA 5-year rule? Important guidelines for withdrawing IRA earnings
The Roth IRA 5-year rule applies in three situations: withdrawing account earnings, converting a traditional IRA to a Roth, and inheriting a Roth IRA.
What is real GDP? Understanding the tool economists and governments use to manage the economy
Real GDP (gross domestic product) is a measure of all the goods and services a nation produces, adjusted for inflation, expressed in monetary terms.
What is a rollover IRA? How to transfer funds from your 401(k) to an IRA and avoid taxes
A rollover IRA is an account that can accept funds from a 401(k) or other employer retirement plan, letting you avoid the usual taxes and penalties.
Blue-chip stocks: Highly reliable stocks from well-established companies that can add strength and safety to any portfolio
Blue-chip stocks are big companies with strong histories and reliable earnings. Shares are expensive, but they offer low risk and high dividends.
The Federal Reserve uses contractionary monetary policy to curb inflation that accompanies an overheating economy
Contractionary monetary policy is a tool a central bank uses to reduce inflation and cool an overheated economy. It includes raising interest rates.
How the Federal Reserve uses expansionary monetary policy to stimulate growth during an economic downturn
To fight an economic slowdown, a central bank will stimulate growth through an expansionary monetary policy: dropping interest rates and buying bonds.
How to buy treasury bonds, one of the safest ways to invest for income
Treasury bonds, notes, and bills are prized by income-seeking investors because they are low-risk and highly liquid. Here's how to buy them.
The Rule of 72 is a quick and simple formula to estimate when your investments will double
The Rule of 72 is a math formula that estimates how long it takes something to double or decline in value and illustrates how compounding interest works.