The simplest way to benefit from a rising market is to buy an index fund. But if you buy individual stocks, you can do both better or worse than that. That downside risk was realized by Atlassian Corporation (NASDAQ:TEAM) shareholders over the last year, as the share price declined 43%. That falls noticeably short of...

Key Takeaways Brokerage commissions, bid-ask spreads, and taxes steadily erode your returns, even when your stock picks look smart on paper. Buffett’s decade‑long $1 million bet proved the point. A low‑cost S&P 500 index fund beat a hand-picked basket of hedge funds by almost four‑to‑one between 2008 and 2017. Skill is rare, costs are certain....

(Image credit: Getty Images) Whether you're pleased or disappointed about the resumption of the Federal Reserve's rate-cutting cycle may depend on whether you are primarily a borrower or a saver. Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum, if you're an investor, now is a good time to review your portfolio and make some tweaks...