Investment | Brian Murphy, CFP®, CPA

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.

Behavioral Finance

An amusing and whimsical look at behavioral finance best practices for investors.

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Inflation and Your Portfolio

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

A Taxing Story: Capital Gains and Losses

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

The Business Cycle

How will you weather the ups and downs of the business cycle?

The Business Cycle

Understanding the economy's cycles can help put current business conditions in better perspective.

Investment Challenges of the Affluent Investor

Affluent investors face unique challenges when putting together an investment strategy. Make sure you keep these in mind.

How to Invest in LGBTQ+ Friendly Companies

This article allows those who support LGBTQ+ interests to explore the possibilities of Socially Responsible Investing.

The Great Debate Continues: Active vs. Passive

In investments, one great debate asks the question, “Active or Passive Investing: Which Is Better?”

Required Reading: The Economic Report of the President

The Economic Report of the President can help identify the forces driving — or dragging — the economy.

TIPS for Inflation

If you are concerned about inflation and expect short-term interest rates may increase, TIPS could be worth considering.

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Student Loan Payoff Calculator: Extra Payments Can Save You

See how extra payments toward your student loans could shorten your payoff timeline.

Bi-Weekly Mortgage Payments

See how switching to bi-weekly mortgage payments could reduce interest and shorten your loan.

Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator

Calculate your debt-to-income ratio to understand how lenders may view your financial health.

College Savings

See how much you may need to save now to cover future college costs for your child.

What Is the Dividend Yield?

Calculate the dividend yield of a holding and see what that means for income over time.

Monthly Budget

Track your monthly income and expenses to get a clearer view of your cash flow.

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16 Wall Street Cliches in 60 Seconds

Pundits say a lot of things about the markets. Let's see if you can keep up.

Bull and Bear Go To Market

Learn about the difference between bulls and bears—markets, that is!

The Real Cost of a Vacation Home

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

From Boats to Brokers

From the Dutch East India Company to Wall St., the stock market has a long and storied history.