Do you feel like your 401k is at ground zero? You're not alone.

When it comes to direct investing in residential real estate and becoming a landlord, you should ask yourself: “What am I getting into?”

Before deciding on investing your money into mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds or even stocks, it's a good idea to do your research.

Everyone’s tempted to base their fund buying decision on a fund’s performance, but that shouldn’t be the only factor you consider. Today’s star performer could easily become tomorrow’s laggard. Here are some guidelines:

The equity markets have plummeted since the beginning of 2008, and investors have flocked to fixed income options in droves. Bonds are not flawless, so buyers should beware of the associated risks.

The rule of 72 is a good heuristic for estimating the doubling time of compound interest. Other rules are handy for estimating continuous compounding or the effects of inflation when your HP-12C isn't at hand.

These days, there are all sorts of ways to buy mutual funds.

Mutual funds are your ticket to the world of investing. They provide an easy and cost-effective way to buy a whole basket of stocks or bonds that was put together by professionals.

Here are the questions you have to ask before investing in a mutual fund.

It's that time of the year: Mutual-fund investors are paying taxes on dividends and capital gains, even if they never saw the cash and the payouts went straight toward the purchase of new shares. So is it time to swear off top-performing stock funds and s