Investing Basics

Google has faced heavy criticism since it announced its first-ever stock split, which creates a new class of nonvoting shares. Don't believe the hype. If you were happy owning Google stock before, you should be just as pleased now. Here's why:

Columbia Management is nickel-and-diming my 13-year-old son's mutual fund account into the ground. It may be too late to save this investment, but the mistakes I made can impact investors of any age. Here are a few tips so you can avoid them.

Thanks to a new law, the IRS is getting help from brokers to catch tax cheats. But the result could leave you paying more taxes than you need to on your investments. Here's what you need to know about the best cost basis method, and how it can help you avoid a bigger IRS bill.

Trading foreign currencies is a smart option for investors looking to diversify -- and one that not many years ago, was restricted to big money investors. Now, it's available to the general public -- with a social networking twist.

On Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 13,005, the first time it had crossed the 13,000 line since its plummet as the nation sank into the financial crisis almost five years ago. But what is the Dow, anyway? And what are these "points" it's measured in? Allow us to explain...

A few weeks ago, we asked DailyFinance readers for their best tips for putting your financial house in order. We've covered saving and spending wisely. Now, we move on to another key to long-term financial security: making your money work for you.

For the first time in several decades, the 30-year annualized returns of Treasury bonds surpassed the dividend adjusted gains of the S&P 500 in 2011. Take a picture if you want -- because this won't last.