archiveNew York Stock Exchange.

New York Stock Exchange NYSE Trump Supporter Trader TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images To some, the stock market seems like a casino. Put some money in, and take a gamble to see if your investments moon or go to zero. But that's not the reality for a large part of the investment world: For those who primarily engage in buy-and-hold, diversified investing — such as pension funds and mutual funds — the market is generally seen as a reliable way to grow long-term wealth. Sure, there may be some...

The latest: The top rates on online bank accounts, money market mutual funds, and short-term Treasuries have slipped from last fall’s peak above 5 percent.But thanks to a cautious Federal Reserve and a murky economic outlook, they’re still hanging in at 4 to 4.5 percent, much better than the pitiful yields that prevailed for years before inflation forced the Federal Reserve to jack up borrowing costs in 2022.After slicing rates by a full point last year, the Fed has hit pause. Fed chair Jerome Powell said last week that policy...