- Tax Planning
- Investments 1: Before you Invest
- Introduction
- Know the Steps You Should Take Before You Invest
- Recognize the Ten Principles of Successful Investing
- Principle 1: Know Yourself
- Principle 2: Understand Risk
- Principle 3: Stay Diversified
- Principle 4: Invest Low-Cost and Tax-Efficiently
- Principle 5: Invest for the Long Run
- Principle 6: Use Caution if You Are Investing in Individual Assets
- Principle 7: Monitor Portfolio Performance Against Benchmarks
- Principle 8: Do Not Waste Too Much Time and Energy Trying to Beat the Market
- Principle 9: Invest Only with High-Quality, Licensed, Reputable People and Institutions
- Principle 10: Develop a Good Investment Plan and Follow It Closely
- Understand the Risks and Benefits of the Major Asset Classes
- Understand the Risk and Return History of the Major Asset Classes
- Summary
- Assignments
- Investments 2: Your Investment Plan
- Investments 3: Securities Market Basics
- Investments 4: Bond Basics
- Investments 5: Stock Basics
- Investments 6: Mutual Fund Basics
- Investments 7: Building Your Portfolio
- Investments 8: Picking Financial Assets
- Investments 9: Portfolio Rebalancing and Reporting
- Retirement 1: Basics
- Retirement 2: Social Security
- Retirement 3: Employer Qualified Plans
- Retirement 4: Individual and Small Business Plans
- Estate Planning Basics
Principle 9: Invest Only with High-Quality, Licensed, Reputable People and Institutions
When you need help, do not be afraid to ask for it. But get help from good people whose actions and beliefs are consistent with the principles discussed in this section. Good help from qualified, licensed, and experienced financial planners, financial advisors, and brokers may help you in your investment plan.
Use the best resources available, but be aware of how those resources are compensated. In addition, make sure advisors have the required licenses to counsel you on the broad range of investment assets you are (and should be) considering. Work only with licensed and registered advisors. In some circumstances, fee-only financial planners or advisors may be a better choice than financial planners or advisors that are paid on commission.
