• Q. What is an ETF?

  ETF stands for Exchange-Traded fund. Exchange-Traded means you can buy and sell ETFs on public stock exchanges like the Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange. In this context, a fund is a bundle of assets (usually stocks, bonds and/or cash).…

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• Q. What is a dividend?

  A dividend is a payment to a shareholder when a company shares its profits. When a business makes a profit, they can choose to pay dividends to shareholders. If you own shares, you get a certain amount of the profit. These payments to shareholders that come out of the profits are dividends.…

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• Q. What Are Stash’s Trading Windows?

  Stash uses four trading windows because our platform is not intended to be used for day trading, but rather for long-term investing. By investing small amounts in a diversified portfolio over a long period of time, you can minimize your risk and save for your future.…

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• Q. I’m losing money in one of my investments. Should I sell and invest in something else?

  At Stash, we believe in taking the long view on your investments. We know this can be a little nerve-wracking, but an investment that is up today could lose value tomorrow. This is all a part of learning to invest. Even if you’re seeing an investment go down in value,…

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• Q. What is investing?

  Investing is an action people take to try earning returns by buying financial instruments like stocks and bonds on an exchange like the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ. Stash is a platform you can use to make these types of purchases.…

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• Q. What is dollar-cost averaging?

  Markets are volatile. What’s an investor to do if they like the overall performance of a company, but don’t want to risk putting a lump sum in its stock the very minute prices temporarily go through the roof? Enter dollar-cost averaging—it’s a way of reducing risk by regularly buying a specific dollar amount of an investment over a period of time and removing the need to time the market.…

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• Q. How do I know when to sell my investments?

  At Stash, we believe in taking the long view on your investments. A pillar in the Stash Way is investing for the long-term. Even if you’re seeing an investment go down in value, we recommend holding on to it. In the long run,…

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• Q. What is a ‘capital gain’?

  It’s pretty much what it sounds like: an increase in the value of your investment. If you sell an investment that has gained in value, that’s a capital gain. You’ve made a profit and are subject to federal capital gains taxes within your taxable brokerage account.…

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• Q. What is an expense ratio?

  An expense ratio is an annualized fee (written as a percentage of total assets) that funds charge shareholders. The fee is charged daily by deducting a small amount of a fund’s asset from a shareholder. It covers management fees, administrative expenses and other costs incurred to operate the fund.…

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• Q. What’s a portfolio?

  A portfolio is just the term for the set of investments you own. Think of it like a wallet. It contains all of your investments, including individual stocks, ETFs, and bonds. Your portfolio is also a reflection of your investment interests,…

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• Q. What’s the difference between risk level and risk tolerance?

  Risk tolerance is how much risk you feel you can take. People who are prepared to risk bigger losses for the potential of bigger rewards can tolerate a high level of risk. People who want to play it safe and are willing to have potentially smaller returns to guard against loss can tolerate less risk.…

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• Q. What is a stock?

  A stock is just partial ownership of a company. Publicly traded companies sell shares of stock in order to raise money and expand.…

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• Q. How many investments should I have in my portfolio?

  The exact number of investments you purchase is entirely up to you. We like to encourage our clients to have a diverse, robust portfolio that reflects several different industries and technologies. This can help keep your portfolio balanced and avoid too much risk.…

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• Q. Why should I be investing in ETFs?

  There are so many investing options out there, it can be confusing figuring out where to start. As a new investor, ETFs can be a great place to start your portfolio. With an ETF, you can invest in a variety of different companies or industries without needing to choose just one “winner”.…

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• Q. What is a holding?

  Holdings are just a general term for investments that you own. When you look at your portfolio, the complete list of all your investments is your holdings. Funds, like ETFs, also have holdings. When you’re investing in an ETF, you’re investing in that fund’s holdings,…

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• Q. What does fiduciary mean?

  Not only is it fun to say, but it’s also a powerful concept. It refers to a relationship built on trust and duty. Stash is a fiduciary which means we have a fundamental obligation to provide suitable investment advice to our clients and always act in the client’s best interest.…

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• Q. What is a bond?

  A bond is what’s called a ‘debt instrument’. When you purchase a bond, you’re essentially lending money to the person or institution issuing that debt. Bond issuers borrow funds for a defined period of time at a fixed interest rate. When you purchase a bond,…

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• Q. What is dividend yield?

  A dividend is a payment made to a company’s shareholders. It’s typically paid out as a way to share a company’s earnings.   The dividend yield is that amount being paid to the shareholder written as a percentage of the stock price.…

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• Q. What is a Roth IRA?

  Roth is a type of individual retirement account (IRA). It allows you to invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, ETFs, index funds, etc. using the money you’ve already paid income taxes on. With a Roth IRA, your earnings and dividends grow tax-free.…

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• Q. What’s the difference between selling partially and selling all?

  At Stash, we believe that you should have the freedom to handle your finances as you see fit. We have a range of options that allow you to manage your investments with pinpoint precision. One of these tools is the ability to sell your investments either partially or totally.…

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