With interest rates rising, we’re advising people to go back to bonds.

It sounds like a broken record, and it’s boring. It’s something we definitely don’t want to keep rubbing in people’s faces. But it goes to show that diversification works.

People shouldn’t chase returns. The average investor looks back at returns and buys based on performance. But people have to look at the worst-performing sectors, not the best-performing ones. That’s where the smart investor goes.

It’s been a hard lesson for some, and a good lesson for most people.

Investors have been buying a lot of securities in the last year that haven’t made a lot of sense to buy. They bought stocks without knowing why, and so now they’re selling stocks without knowing...

What happens is when something does well, people throw money at it.

A lot of people just look at how the fund did last year and the Morningstar stars, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

I have a feeling this market is going to stay very volatile. But it’s day-to-day volatility. It scares you. but it shouldn’t change your investment strategies.

People look at technology like it’s a shining star, but it’s no different than any other sector. A few good years can really pull up the averages. But a few bad years can really pull...

If he saves $2,500 between his 401(k) and outside savings, which he plans to do, this will grow to $526,450 at 8 percent over the next 11 years. The IRA rollover would add an additional...

For people who are looking to get into this market, they probably should not have more than 20 percent in tech.

So look at the funds you own or ones you’re considering buying. All that information can only make you a smarter investor.

The wild card is capital gains distributions. So you have to be very careful when you’re changing your portfolio.

For small investors, they probably aren’t the place to be.

If you’re not willing to invest more in it, maybe you should sell and invest somewhere else.

Even though he is not eligible for the 401K, he can allocate this money into his non-qualified investments and then stop those savings when he starts his 401K.

People tend to believe that whatever is doing well at the moment will always do well. In the 1990s everybody said value investing was dead and never to return, but managers who stuck to their...

Doubling the student loan payment will reduce the time it takes to pay the loan, but the total savings in interest will be marginal.

With a 401(k), people don’t realize how much they can save in taxes. They’re clueless.

When people buy the hottest stocks or the hottest funds, they end up having less and less diversification.

If it’s a straight increase without other hooks in there, it’s a great thing.

People may have a better feeling psychologically than they did at the end of the year. They’re a little more comfortable. So this is a good time to do a self-assessment.

It looks like he can save a lot of money each year since he has low expenses.

In sector plays, you should buy after a down period, when the numbers look terrible. But when you look at a fund, if similar funds have done well and one fund has done poorly, you...

Don’t look at the past six months. Look at the past five, 10 or 20 years of returns.

In the last several years there hasn’t been much of a downside. There hasn’t been much of a downside, so people have been spoiled. They don’t have a clue as to how it really works.

People should look at this market as a great learning experience. The best learning experience of how much risk you want to take is going through a down market.

Brand recognition is nice, but a fund company that has a lot of good performers may be an indication of strong research. But not all funds will do well.

People who get hurt the most are buying a handful of stocks. People who have been throwing money at the S&P 500 have to be disappointed now.

I know people think three days is long term in the market these days. But if you’re a long-term investor, 2, 3, 4 percent swings, which are big moves in a day, are meaningless when...

Young people are always afraid to commit money long-term.