Personal Finance

If you own bonds or have money in a bond fund, there is a number you should know. It is called duration. Although stated in years, duration is not simply a measure of time. Instead, duration signals how much the price of your bond investment is likely to fluctuate when there is an up or down movement in interest rates. The higher the duration number, the more sensitive your bond investment will be to changes in interest rates.

February 27 – March 4 is America Saves Week and Military Saves Week, a time when the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) joins forces with participating organizations and military installations to encourage Americans, including service members and their families, to take action to save money.

All mutual funds charge fees. Because small percentage differences can add up to a big dollar difference in the returns on your mutual funds, it's important to be aware of all the fees associated with any fund you invest in.

When you think about your sweetheart, you probably don't think about finances. But according to a recent study, one in three couples argued about finances, and one in 10 lied to their significant other about money. That's not exactly a recipe for romance.

If you’re going to day trade—and it’s very risky to do so—you must abide by the rules, particularly those that deal with margin. If a brokerage firm designates you as a “pattern day trader,” then FINRA margin rules require that broker-dealer to impose special margin requirements on your day-trading account.

In the movie "Groundhog Day," a small-town weatherman is fated to relive over and over again a day he would just as soon forget. Unlike the film, which ends happily, some of us wake up and find ourselves repeating the same financial mistakes time and again, with no happy ending in sight. Here are four common financial mistakes many of us make—but we don't have to repeat them again this year

Much is said and written about the need to set financial goals. But what if you are just starting out? Which goals should you set—and why? Here are four specific goals for those who are new to saving and investing. They are sound (we’ll explain why), and can help you lay a strong financial foundation for the rest of your life.

Investment return is the money you make or lose on an investment. Ideally, your return will be positive: your initial investment will remain intact and you'll end up with more money than you invested. But your rate of return—which you figure out by dividing the gain by the amount you invest—is different.

Selling an investment typically has tax consequences. To figure out whether you need to report a gain—or can claim a loss—after you sell, you need to know the cost basis for that investment.

FINRA is issuing this alert to inform brokerage account holders, family members and other beneficiaries about inherited IRAs. We also provide tips for making the IRA inheritance process as efficient and trouble-free as possible.