15 guides
Investing and retirement guides
Plain-English education about investing and saving for retirement. General information only, not investment advice. All investing involves risk. We don't recommend specific investments or earn commissions.
Before you invest
Why invest, saving vs investing, risk and the match.
- Why people invest for retirement
Inflation, compounding and time.
- Saving vs investing: which money goes where
Short-term money saves; long-term money can invest.
- Risk, time and your comfort level
How long until you need the money changes everything.
- Your employer match: don't leave it on the table
Find out how the match works and contribute enough to get it.
Retirement accounts
401(k)s, IRAs, Roth vs traditional and rollovers.
- 401(k) and 403(b) plans, explained
Workplace retirement plans with tax advantages.
- IRAs: individual retirement accounts
A retirement account you open yourself.
- Roth or traditional: pay tax now or later?
It mostly comes down to your tax rate now vs later.
- What to do with an old 401(k)
Leave it, move it to your new plan, or roll it to an IRA.
How investing works
Index funds, fees, diversification and target-date funds.
- Index funds, explained simply
Owning a small slice of a whole market.
- Why investment fees matter so much
A small percentage, taken every year, adds up.
- Diversification and asset allocation
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
- Target-date funds: the all-in-one option
A mix that gets more conservative as a date approaches.
Protect yourself
Scams, checking professionals and market drops.
- Spot investment scams
Guaranteed high returns are the biggest red flag.
- Choosing and checking a financial professional
Know how they're paid, and look them up.
- When the market drops
Downturns are normal. Reacting in a panic can be costly.