Beginning an open, honest dialogue with your spouse or significant other about your current financial situation and your investment goals is as easy as asking one another the following simple questions.

Education and awareness are an investor’s first line of defense against investment fraud.

State securities regulators should be the first call for an investor before you turn over any money to a broker or investment adviser.

Avoiding being hurt by a con artist is as easy as doing your homework — before you invest.

Investing in securities is risky enough without worrying about whether your salesperson is going to fleece you. To be an informed investor, you must know what danger signs to look for.

Annuities are complex products that may combine the characteristics of insurance and investment securities. Because of their hybrid nature, annuities are sometimes marketed as one-size-fits-all products. This is simply not true.

Before you invest in any of these sophisticated financial products, you should thoroughly understand the risks involved.

Gold seems like a very tempting investment, but before jumping onto the gold bandwagon, there are a few things you might want to consider.

Peer–to-peer lending is an emerging online financial service also known as social lending, person-to-person lending or P2P.

Some people believe that owning a franchise is a safe and easy way to start a successful business, but buying a franchise can be risky, and there is no guarantee of success, especially in an uncertain economy. If you are thinking of investing in a franchise, you must educate yourself before you buy.