Introduction to Investing - Investor. gov Introduction to Investing Many people just like you turn to the markets to help buy a home, send children to college, or build a retirement nest egg But unlike the banking world, where deposits are guaranteed by federal deposit insurance, the value of stocks, bonds, and other securities fluctuates with market conditions
Investment Products - Investor. gov A wide variety of investment products exist to help you achieve your financial goals Learn about many investment products in the menu on the left Some examples of investment products are: Stocks Bonds Mutual funds and ETFs Closed-end funds Annuities Alternative investments (e g , private equity funds, hedge funds, and crypto assets) Every investment product has its own set of features The
Stocks - FAQs - Investor. gov When you own a share of stock, you own part of a company Learn about stocks Get answers to stock FAQs from the SEC’s investor education staff
Glossary - Investor. gov Dollar-cost averaging means investing your money in equal portions, at regular intervals, regardless of the ups and downs in the market This investment strategy can help you manage risk by following…
Private Equity Funds - Investor. gov What are private equity funds? What are private equity funds? When you invest in a private equity fund, you are investing in a fund managed by a private equity firm—the adviser Similar to a mutual fund or hedge fund, a private equity fund is a pooled investment vehicle where the adviser pools together the money invested in the fund by all the investors and uses that money to make
Compound Interest Calculator - Investor. gov Test your knowledge of compound interest, the Rule of 72, and related investing concepts in our most popular investing quiz! There’s a trick question – can you spot it?
An Introduction to 529 Plans - Investor Bulletin The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Assistance is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors with background information on 529 plans Please also see our companion Bulletin for a few questions to consider before opening a 529 plan account
Municipal Bonds - Investor. gov What are municipal bonds? Municipal bonds (or “munis” for short) are debt securities issued by states, cities, counties and other governmental entities to fund day-to-day obligations and to finance capital projects such as building schools, highways or sewer systems By purchasing municipal bonds, you are in effect lending money to the bond issuer in exchange for a promise of regular
Bonds - FAQs - Investor. gov Why are bonds bought and sold? What types of bonds are there? What are the benefits and risks of bonds? Avoiding fraud Additional information Why are bonds bought and sold? Investors buy bonds because: They provide a predictable income stream Typically, bonds pay interest on a regular schedule, such as every six months If the bonds are held to maturity, bondholders get back the entire