Investing for Beginners

1. How to Start Investing with $100

A practical first-steps guide to opening an account and making your first investment with a small amount of money.

2. How to Build Your First Portfolio

A framework for choosing your first mix of investments based on goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance.

3. What Are ETFs?

How exchange-traded funds work, why they've become so popular, and what to check before buying one.

4. ETF vs Mutual Fund

Key differences in trading, costs, taxes, and minimums between ETFs and traditional mutual funds.

5. Index Fund Investing Explained

What index funds track, why low costs matter so much over time, and how they fit into a long-term plan.

6. Dollar-Cost Averaging Guide

How investing a fixed amount on a regular schedule works, and the trade-offs versus investing a lump sum.

7. How Much Should You Invest Each Month?

A framework for figuring out an investing budget based on income, expenses, and goals.

8. Best Long-Term Investing Strategies

An overview of well-known long-term approaches and the principles they share.

9. Bonds and Fixed Income Explained

What a bond actually is, how it differs from a stock, and the role fixed income often plays in balancing a portfolio.

10. Asset Allocation and Diversification

The difference between spreading risk across asset classes and within them — and why allocation is often called the most important decision in investing.

11. Investment Account Types: Taxable, IRA, Roth, 401(k), HSA

The 'wrapper' around your investments matters as much as what you buy. How the main account types differ on taxes and access.