Investment | Kevin Johanson, CFP®

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.

Should You Invest in Exchange Traded Funds?

There are hundreds of ETFs available. Should you invest in them?

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5 Smart Investing Principles

Principles that can help create a portfolio designed to pursue investment goals.

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Finding the Balance

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

How Financial Professionals Are Compensated

Read this overview to learn how financial advisors are compensated.

What Smart Investors Know

Savvy investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.

Risk Perspective

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

Emotional vs. Strategic Decisions

Information vs. instinct. Are your choices based on evidence of emotion?

A Taxing Story: Capital Gains and Losses

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

The Ivory Tower Changes Wall Street

Thanks to the work of three economists, we have a better understanding of what determines an asset’s price.

Estimating the Cost of College

This worksheet can help you estimate the costs of a four-year college program.

Alternative Investments - Going Mainstream

Alternative investments are going mainstream for accredited investors. It’s critical to sort through the complexity.

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Saving for College

This calculator can help you estimate how much you should be saving for college.

Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred Savings

Use this calculator to compare the future value of investments with different tax consequences.

Contributing to an IRA?

Determine if you are eligible to contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA.

What Is the Dividend Yield?

This calculator helps determine your pre-tax and after-tax dividend yield on a particular stock.

What Is My Risk Tolerance?

This questionnaire will help determine your tolerance for investment risk.

Impact of Taxes and Inflation

Estimate the potential impact taxes and inflation can have on the purchasing power of an investment.

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5 Smart Investing Principles

Principles that can help create a portfolio designed to pursue investment goals.

5 Smart Investing Strategies

There are some smart strategies that may help you pursue your investment objectives

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Inflation and Your Portfolio

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

The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

What if instead of buying that vacation home, you invested the money?

The Junk Drawer Approach to Investing

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

Bridging the Confidence Gap

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