Investor Education

• An Overview of the Federal Reserve System—The Federal Reserve System—commonly called the “Fed”—has been in the news a lot lately, given the recent problems in the housing market and their impact on the stock markets. What is the Federal Reserve System? What does it do? Why is it important? If you can’t answer these questions, you’re not alone.
• Daily Fund Pricing: Understanding the Basics—Unit price, expense ratio...trying to understand your investments may seem like learning an entirely new language. But don't fret. It's not as complicated as it seems once you understand a few basics. Let's start with the term unit price.
• The Role of the Investments Department—The Investments department’s role is to seek to attain superior returns while incurring prudent levels of risk for General Board managed funds.
• Special Feature Article on the The Inflation Protection Fund—The Inflation Protection Fund (IPF) provides diversification compared to other assets and funds held by the Board.
• The Impact of Changing Interest Rates on the Stable Value Fund Crediting Rate—The General Board summarizes how changing interest rates affect the Stable Value Fund crediting rate with a helpful Q and A. 
• Bond Basics—Bonds differ significantly from stocks. Learn the basics of bond investment in this primer.
• Five Keys to Maximizing Investment Performance and Reducing Losses—The performance of the stock market in the last few years would be enough to frighten even the most experienced investors. So it's no surprise when those with little or no investment experience avoid the potential long-term returns of stocks because of the stock market's short-term losses. In this article, we will explore five investment keys to provide thoughts for managing your investments.
• General Board's Investments in Microfinance Help to Advance International Economic Development and Peace—Over the past year and a half, the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (General Board) has invested approximately $50 million in microfinance.
• Investing in Volatile Markets—Now more than ever it pays to diversify your assets among the broad asset categories, which consist of stocks, international stocks and fixed-income investments.
• Investing is a Marathon, not a Sprint—In any investment program, it is important to maintain a long-term horizon, and not to place too much emphasis on short-term performance.
• Should You Make Investment Decisions Based on Performance History?—One can rarely, if ever, statistically prove that the performance history of a fund is a predictor of future performance. So, when making a decision on how to invest your savings, you should not focus on the investment's recent performance record.
• Q&A Regarding Recent Media Stories about Pensions and Pension Plan Funding—A series of questions and answers regarding pension plans in general and the specific plans administered by the General Board that attempts to shed some light on the opaque and often misunderstood topic of pension funding.
• WAIT! Before You Transfer Your Money—Investment representatives may approach you to consider transferring your current United Methodist Personal Investment Plan (UMPIP) account balances to funds that they recommend. Frequently they'll tout better investment results as a reason to transfer your money. Before you do, the answers to these questions may help you make the most prudent decision regarding your retirement money.