AAII

It’s Time for Your Midyear Financial Checkup
July 2026 by Sam Levine
Use this convenient midyear checklist to keep your finances on course.

Find a Stock’s Earnings Estimate Revisions
June 2026 by Sam Levine
Why revisions to earnings estimates are important and where you can find revisions data and tools on AAII.com.

Better Analyze Your Brokerage Account by Syncing It to AAII’s My Portfolio
May 2026 by Charles Rotblut
Use the flexibility of My Portfolio to customize your analysis of broker holdings with a secure connection.

Big Improvements to My Portfolio and the AAII Stock Screens
April 2026 by Charles Rotblut
Visit the AAII Investor Hub to experience the new features of the AAII Stock Screens and My Portfolio.

What the Charting Tools on AAII’s Stock Evaluator Can Show You
March 2026 by Sam Levine
Build custom stock charts on AAII.com to determine whether the trend is your friend.

How to Pinpoint the Right Fund for Your Needs
February 2026 by Charles Rotblut
Easily identify the perfect fund for your portfolio with these tips and tools.

Your Guide to the New AAII Investor Hub
January 2026 by Charles Rotblut
AAII’s new Investor Hub brings your portfolios, watchlists and research together in one place.

Investment Taxes Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
December 2025 by Charles Rotblut
Different types of investment income can move you toward or over the various MAGI thresholds and affect your eligibility for OBBBA tax breaks.

Steadily Building Wealth Through Dollar-Cost Averaging and Value Averaging
November 2025 by Cynthia McLaughlin
The discipline of investing regularly over extended periods regardless of market conditions can offer significant long-term benefits.

What Fund Distributions Mean for Your Portfolio
October 2025 by Cynthia McLaughlin
While you have no control over fund distributions, there are steps that can be taken to minimize their impact.

Stock Yields: Turning Numbers Into a Strategy
September 2025 by Cynthia McLaughlin
While stock yields are often associated with dividends, they can take multiple forms, such as earnings yield or shareholder yield.

Diversifying Your Dividends for Yield and Growth
August 2025 by Charles Rotblut
Dividend investors can enhance yield, support growth and reduce risk by diversifying across sectors.

Aligning Portfolios With the Risk Index
July 2025 by Cynthia McLaughlin
Put risk into perspective by measuring volatility relative to a market benchmark.

Time on Your Side: How Compounding Grows Small Amounts Into Big Wealth
June 2025 by Cynthia McLaughlin
By understanding how compounding works, starting early, reinvesting earnings and staying consistent, you set yourself up for success.

Comparing the Two Largest ETFs: SPY vs. VOO
May 2025 by Wayne A. Thorp
The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has surpassed the SPDR S&P 500 ETF in size. What does this shift mean for individual investors?

Go Beyond Age-Based Allocation Strategies by Personalizing Your Approach
April 2025 by Charles Rotblut
AAII’s PRISM Wealth-Building Process helps you think through the considerations for creating the optimal allocation for you.

An Investor's Guide to Understanding 1099 Tax Forms
March 2025 by Cynthia McLaughlin
What earnings are reported on the common 1099 tax forms and where to include these amounts on your taxes.

Choosing the Right Mutual Fund or ETF for You
February 2025 by Charles Rotblut
Suggestions and tools to help you identify the perfect fund for your portfolio.

Quickly Assess a Stock's Attractiveness With These Metrics
January 2025 by Charles Rotblut
Useful metrics found on a stock's Evaluator Snapshot page at AAII.com and how they help determine if a stock deserves a closer look.

Increasing the Aftertax Returns on Your Portfolio
December 2024 by Charles Rotblut
The two primary rules for reducing investing-related taxes are transacting less and holding less tax-friendly investments in tax-preferred accounts.

GICS Decoded: Analyzing Stocks With S&P Global Sectors and Industries
November 2024 by Charles Rotblut
AAII switched to the Global Industry Classification Standard for stocks when we began using S&P Global Market Intelligence as our data provider on October 1, 2024.

Make the Most of the AAII Stock Screens
October 2024 by Omar Beirat
A few simple steps put the AAII Stock Screens’ daily generated ideas at your fingertips, along with key data points.

How to Read Dividend Red Flags
September 2024 by Derek J. Hageman
Dangerous dividends are ones that attract income-seeking investors with high but unsustainable returns. Warning signs to watch out for.

Meet Your Investing Challenges Through a New Learning Experience
August 2024 by Jenna Brashear
AAII’s Essential Investing (EI) Course offers essential financial education and practical tools for both newcomers and seasoned investors through modules, videos and interactive sessions.

Six Steps for a Successful Midyear Portfolio Review
July 2024 by Charles Rotblut
A midyear review differs from both the daily look you may give your portfolio and the more comprehensive annual review.

How to Boost Returns by Incorporating Momentum
June 2024 by Charles Rotblut
Portfolios of companies with strong price momentum have realized higher returns than the portfolios of companies with weak momentum.

Common Measures of Volatility for Making Useful Comparisons
May 2024 by John Bajkowski, Jean Henrich
Volatility is the most common proxy for measuring investment risk and should consider the portfolio impact of diversification.

Using Alerts to Keep Tabs on Securities
April 2024 by AAII Staff
Alerts notify you of changes to your investments based on parameters you determine. All AAII members have access to these alerts through My Portfolio.

The Eight Metrics AAII Uses to Identify Quality Stocks
March 2024 by Wayne A. Thorp
AAII’s A+ Quality Grade encompasses a comprehensive set of financial indicators to identify high-quality stocks.

How to Find Funds Suitable for You
February 2024 by Charles Rotblut
Tips and tools to help you define your needs and make more informed decisions when looking at funds.

An Improved Way to Find Mutual Funds and ETFs
January 2024 by Charles Rotblut, Cynthia McLaughlin
AAII’s mutual fund and ETF guides and screeners got an enhanced and more user-friendly interface. Plus, screeners have more flexibility when choosing filters and saving screens.

Tax-Savvy Strategies for Your Stocks, Mutual Funds and ETFs
December 2023 by Charles Rotblut
Savvy steps to avoid or limit the tax impact of security events, and tools on AAII.com you can use to help manage them.

Using EBITDA and Enterprise Value to Calculate a Stock's Worth
October 2023 by Jack Gilleland
Some investors feel that examining a stock’s enterprise value relative to its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) is a superior method of measuring company value.

Using a Portfolio Tracker to Follow Your Current and Potential Investments
September 2023 by AAII Staff
Watchlists allow you to keep tabs on the securities you own and those you are interested in. How to use AAII's My Portfolio to follow stocks, funds and ETFs.

Incorporating Investor Sentiment Into Your Portfolio Decisions
August 2023 by Charles Rotblut
There is a long-running link between investor sentiment, like the AAII Sentiment Survey, reaching unusual levels and the market changing direction.

Five Steps for Conducting a Midyear Portfolio Review
July 2023 by Charles Rotblut
A midyear review is useful for ensuring your portfolio remains on track to achieve your financial goals. How to go about it.

Ratios for Determining a Company’s Strengths and Weaknesses
June 2023 by Cynthia McLaughlin
Financial ratios can elevate investor knowledge and create a more detailed picture about a company’s stability, competitive position and profitability.

Unlock the Power of Customization on AAII.com
May 2023 by Jenna Brashear
By tailoring your AAII.com experience to your personal preferences, you can have the resources that are most relevant and valuable to you right at your fingertips.

Key Criteria to Base Your Mutual Fund Sell Rules On
April 2023 by Matt Markowski
Learning about the main concepts governing when to sell funds from your portfolio can help you set up a disciplined process.

Developing Sell Rules for Stocks Based on Your Buy Criteria
March 2023 by Matt Markowski
A clearly defined process for making sell decisions prevents emotions from taking over. One method is to base your rules on the criteria used for considering a stock.

Tidying Up Your Fund Portfolio
January 2023 by John Bajkowski
If you have been investing for some time you likely have an assortment of funds that were reasonable investments at the time but may no longer fit your investment objectives or compare favorably to their peers.

Manage the Impact of Taxes on Your Stocks and Funds
December 2022 by Derek J. Hageman
You can control the impact that taxes have on your stocks, funds and ETFs to avoid letting taxes drive your investing decisions.

Pros and Cons of Two Dividend Investing Strategies
November 2022 by Derek J. Hageman
Which are the better dividend-paying stocks—stocks with a lower initial yield but with a high dividend growth rate, or stocks with a low dividend growth rate but with a higher initial yield?

Covering All the Bases With Your Asset Class Decisions
October 2022 by Charles Rotblut
How to go about identifying holes in your portfolio allocation and finding funds or ETFs that may be good candidates to fill those asset deficits.

Is Your Mutual Fund Tax-Efficient?
September 2022 by Wayne A. Thorp
Minimizing the taxable distributions of a mutual fund can boost investors’ aftertax returns.

Using Your Portfolio's Asset Mix to Control Your Risk
August 2022 by Wayne A. Thorp
Once you know your risk capacity, you can make adjustments to your portfolio to arrive at the optimal allocation for you.

How to Analyze Earnings Surprises
July 2022 by John Bajkowski
An earnings surprise occurs when a company’s reported profits are above or below financial analysts’ expectations, which can change its share price.

Do Convertible Bonds Fit Into Your Portfolio?
June 2022 by Cara Scatizzi, Jenna Brashear
Convertible bonds have both bond-like and stock-like features. Issuing convertible bonds is a way to offer a low coupon yield, but entice investors with a value-added component.

Finding ESG Mutual Funds and ETFs
May 2022 by Wayne A. Thorp
Investors are increasingly applying nonfinancial environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors to their investment analysis to identify material risks and growth opportunities. AAII.com shows you which funds have an ESG focus.

Get Foreign Exposure at Home Through ADRs
April 2022 by Matthew Bajkowski
ADRs represent shares of foreign stock and make investing abroad both simpler and less costly for the average individual.

Calculating the Tax-Equivalent Yield of Muni Bonds
March 2022 by Charles Rotblut
The quoted yield on a municipal bond may be understated relative to that of a similar corporate bond once taxes are factored in. A simple formula lets you determine which yield is more attractive.

Simple Guidelines for Finding the Funds That Fit Your Needs
February 2022 by Charles Rotblut
How to decide which funds are right for you. Plus, which AAII tools and resources can make your decision a cinch.

When to Rebalance a Portfolio
January 2022 by Charles Rotblut
While rebalancing can have advantages in terms of maintaining a desired allocation, rebalancing too frequently can result in undesired costs.

Monitoring Your Tax Exposure With Stocks and Funds
December 2021 by Charles Rotblut
Taxes are an unavoidable cost with an investment portfolio. While they shouldn’t drive your decisions, you can manage their impact.

Suggestions for Analyzing Mutual Fund and ETF Performance
November 2021 by Charles Rotblut
How to more effectively use return data to help determine whether a fund is a worthy investment.

Differentiating Between High Yield and High Dividend Growth Strategies
October 2021 by Derek J. Hageman
Which are the better dividend-paying stocks: stocks with a lower initial yield but with a high dividend growth rate, or stocks with a low dividend growth rate but with a higher initial yield?

Incorporating the Price-Earnings Ratio Into Your Screening and Analysis
September 2021 by Matthew Bajkowski
The price-earnings ratio is widely used as a valuation metric because of its simplicity. It embodies the market’s expectation of future company performance and relates it to actual, recent company performance.

What Happens When a Fund's Management Changes
August 2021 by Wayne A. Thorp
You shouldn’t immediately switch from a fund when it changes manager(s), but you should pay closer attention to investment style, portfolio turnover, fees and performance after a change.

AAII Resources for Making Intelligent Asset Allocation Decisions
July 2021 by Wayne A. Thorp
The AAII tools and resources highlighted here can help you to structure your portfolio to maximize your returns.

To Stock Split or Not to Stock Split
June 2021 by Derek J. Hageman
Stock splits help to make shares more affordable to smaller investors and provide greater marketability and liquidity in the market.

Key Considerations When Choosing a Target-Date Fund
May 2021 by Charles Rotblut
Target-date funds are designed to allow you to choose one with the year closest to your expected retirement date. However, there are reasons why you may want to opt for a shorter- or longer-dated fund.

Measuring Dividend Sustainability With the Earnings Payout Ratio
April 2021 by Derek J. Hageman
The payout ratio helps an investor determine if earnings are sufficient enough to cover the dividend payment.

Taking the Fear Out of Risk
March 2021 by John Bajkowski
Investors need to learn how to minimize the risk that can be controlled and make sure that we are compensated for the risk that is unavoidable.

AAII's Quality Grade Undergoes Expansion: Looking Behind the Curtain
February 2021 by Wayne A. Thorp
Based on research into various components that reflect a company’s “quality,” we tweaked the quality grade for stocks.

Choosing a Stock Screen Based on Its Key Metric Grades
January 2021 by Wayne A. Thorp
By showing the average A+ Stock Grades for all of the stock screens, you get a clear picture of the types of stocks that pass each screen.

Tap Into Tax-Related Information on Stocks and Funds
December 2020 by Charles Rotblut
Where on AAII.com to get the data you need to understand the tax implications of your investments for the current tax year.

Understanding Mutual Fund Fees and Expenses
November 2020 by John Bajkowski
While it is natural to focus on the performance track record when selecting a fund, expenses and fees can have a dramatic impact on your realized rate of return.

Comparing Funds That Track the Same Index
October 2020 by Wayne A. Thorp
Although index mutual funds and ETFs seek to mimic the composition and performance of an index, they are usually not exact copies of the index itself.

Fund Openings and Closings: Why They Happen and Why They Matter
September 2020 by Wayne A. Thorp
Closing to investors is one way for a mutual fund to slow the inflow of money that the fund managers must invest. Members can check on fund closings and reopenings easily at AAII.com.

The Benefits of Combining Value & Momentum
August 2020 by Wayne A. Thorp
Research provides evidence that combining value and momentum strategies offers investors the opportunity to achieve higher rates of return with lower risk than would be achieved with either strategy individually.

Quality Matters: Knowing What NOT to Own
July 2020 by Wayne A. Thorp
Identifying low-quality stocks to avoid is one way to boost your chances for investment success.

Top Considerations When Comparing Funds
June 2020 by John Bajkowski
How to conduct a head-to-head comparison of two mutual funds, taking into consideration the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.

Understanding AAII's Revised Value Grade
May 2020 by Charles Rotblut
AAII’s Value Grade for stocks incorporates six fundamental variables into a single value grade to help judge which stocks are potential bargains and which are expensive.

Incorporating Momentum Into Your Stock Investing Strategy
April 2020 by Derek J. Hageman
Research confirms that momentum is as important a characteristic to seek in a stock as value, size or volatility.

Consider Earnings Estimate Surprises and Revisions
March 2020 by John Bajkowski
Opportunity for an investor arises when reported earnings veer from expectations, or analysts revise their estimates. AAII provides the screens and data you need to identify stocks with earnings surprises or revisions.

Tools for Mutual Fund Investors
February 2020 by Wayne A. Thorp
AAII.com has been undergoing enhancements and reorganization over the last several months and in the process we have been expanding the investment discovery, analysis and tracking resources for all members.

How to Calculate Your Portfolio's Return
August 2008 by Jenna Brashear
Discover two methods you can use to calculate your portfolio’s return, which is the gain or loss realized over a period of time.

AAII How-To Articles