In recent years it seems like there are fewer investment options that are reasonably secure for investors who are concerned about preservation of capital. One of these options is the series EE bond issued by the U.S. government – also known as a “savings bond.”

Here’s some investing advice about whether series EE savings bonds are a good investment choice for you.

In short, series EE bonds are most suitable for an investor seeking close to absolute security and willing to trade potential investment gains to get that security.

The mutual fund structure allows an individual investor to diversify his or her investment risk and to follow a particular investment focus by making a single investment in the fund. But with literally thousands of different mutual funds available, what should you look for when deciding on the right one for you?

Here is some investing advice on some of the factors you should consider to help you choose a mutual fund.

The mutual fund structure is very powerful and offers investors an opportunity to participate in investments that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to. But like any other investment there are risks, so it’s important to make sure that any investment you’re considering is a good fit for your needs and investor profile.

One popular type of stock investment strategy is investing in companies that pay regular cash dividend to their shareholders. Some investors believe that assets which generate regular income can be preferable in many respects to relying solely on the capital gains prospects of non-dividend paying stocks. Many dividend paying companies are large blue-chip companies that are leaders in their markets.

Here is some information and advice for coming up with your own dividend investing strategy.

Dividend investing can be a great foundation of your portfolio. By selecting a good balance of strong companies that have a history of paying consistent dividends, you’ll have cash flow from your dividends to help mitigate any market downturns.

While safe investments like certificates of deposits are paying interest at near record lows, there is still an opportunity to access a respectable rate of return without having to expose investment funds to the risks of the stock market. This opportunity comes in the form of municipal bonds, which are issued by state and local governmental entities to raise funds for public works projects.

Here is some information and investing advice on why you might want to consider investing in municipal bonds now.

Like any other investment opportunity, you need to be comfortable with committing any of your investment portfolio to municipal bonds, whether it’s in the form of individual bonds or a muni bond mutual fund or exchange traded fund. Learn as much as possible about any muni bond investment before you invest.

For those who prefer to save money by handling their own investments, a discount broker is the best option. But all discount brokers are not created equal. They offer different services, features and fees.

Here is some information and advice to think about when considering a discount broker.

A good discount brokerage offers the services you need at a price that won’t eat up a large portion of your earnings. Check out all your choices, both online and locally, to find the discount broker that best meets your needs.

Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, or TIPS for short, offer a solution to this dilemma. They are Treasury notes and bonds as well, but the principal and interest are indexed to the inflation rate. In effect, they’re inflation-proof. But that doesn’t mean they’re fool-proof.

Here is some investing advice to consider if you’re thinking about buying TIPS.

TIPS are a generally sound investment. But it’s best to purchase them at a time when inflation is expected to rise in order to get the most out of them. Since the idea with tips is to simply stay ahead of inflation, they make a good low-risk investment to add to your portfolio. They won’t make you a millionaire, but they will keep a portion of your money nice and safe and ensure that it doesn’t shrink due to inflation.

ETFs usually include investments that are grouped under some sort of common theme. It could be top performers in a given industry, those listed on various indexes, or up and coming stocks from a certain market sector. These investments often look quite attractive at first glance, but they’re not right for every investor.

Here is some advice to consider about ETFs before you part with your money.

ETFs work out very well for some investors. For others, they’re just not a good match for their goals and trading styles. Before you purchase shares in an ETF, ask yourself if you’re prepared to handle the inherent risk, and if you plan to trade actively or hang onto it for a while.

The variability of inflation is one of the biggest reasons why investors are advised to diversify their portfolios. But in times of high inflation, there are other measures you can take for added protection.

Here are some ideas and advice to consider when inflation is forecasted to rise.

Inflation can wreak havoc on our investments. But if you’re proactive, you can greatly reduce your portfolio’s inflation risk. While there’s no point in converting all of your investments into inflation hedges, taking some precautions could certainly pay off.

The truth is you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to make sense out of investing. You just need to be willing to learn. Some aspects of investing are best learned through experience.

Here are five rules of thumb for those who are just getting started.

These basic rules should help you get your investments off on the right foot. You can learn the finer points as you go. All investment comes with some amount of risk, but by educating yourself you can lower that risk substantially.

If you’ve spent any time over the past few years researching investment options you may have heard about ETFs. ETF stands for Exchange Traded Fund. They’ve gained enormous popularity and have become quite trendy.

As with any trend, it’s important to be cautious before jumping in – particularly when your money is potentially at risk. So let’s first look at what an exchange traded fund is. “Exchange Traded” means that it is traded just like a traditional stock. “Fund” means that it is a collection or group of investments, which can include stocks and bonds.

Generally the investments are grouped by industry or theme. For example, you might find an ETF with various pharmaceutical companies. Like other funds, an ETF is then managed by a financial institution. When you buy an ETF you’re buying an investment, managed by someone else, that may have stock in hundreds or thousands of companies.

What are The Advantages and Disadvantages of ETFs?

If you’re interested in pursuing ETFs as an investment option, spend some time reviewing the fund’s information. What’s the past performance of the fund? Who manages it and what is their track record? What are the fees, expense ratio and what is the commission rate for your broker? What securities are represented by the fund and what is the performance of those various companies? Finally, how will an ETF help you diversify your portfolio?