Understanding Performance
Investing performance—is it all about returns? Growth? What about taxes? How do fees impact performance? Here, we break down investing performance for for beginner investors, experienced investors, and everyone in between.
Featured Articles
Goal Projection and Advice Methodology
Betterment helps you get on track to meet your goals by providing projections and advice on allocation, savings, and withdrawals. Our methodology for doing so involves some assumptions worth exploring.
Why Stock Market News Might Be Misleading You
Learn to separate the meaningful information from the noise. Knowing the right way to interpret market news can help us to make smarter decisions about how to manage our investments.
How Checking Performance Might Hurt Your Performance
As your investment manager, we strive to maximize your returns and reduce your investment costs. But did you know that we also try to help you reduce your stress?
Recent Articles
Is Betterment Worth It? Estimating the Added Value of a Robo-Advisor
Based on our estimation, using Betterment’s retirement recommendations could earn you 38.8% more after-tax money in retirement compared to investing on your own.
How We Estimate the Added Value of Using Betterment
How we estimate the added value you gain by following Betterment’s investing recommendations for retirement using our optional tax-smart strategies.
Benefits Of An Early IRA Contribution
Want to know a simple strategy that can help you end up with thousands more to spend in retirement?
How Much to Save: Our Advice Guides You Towards Your Goals
A good financial plan has to adapt over time to be successful. Here’s how Betterment helps you do that.
How Does Betterment Calculate Investment Returns?
Understanding and using time-weighted and money-weighted returns within your Betterment dashboard.
How We Calculate Returns
Learn the different ways returns can be calculated, and find answers to common questions we hear from customers about their returns.
How’d the Market Do? That’s Harder To Answer Than You Think
In taxable investing, your after-tax return—the amount you “take home”—is what’s important. Yet far too many investors focus on market performance. Let’s look at the difference.
Long-Term Returns Have a Cost, and It’s Well Worth the Price
We’re investors in the stock market because it has a long, time-tested history of generating big returns for those patient enough to let compound interest work its magic.
How Much Could You Be Losing To Fees?
Unexpected or hidden fees can damage your long-term investment returns. Sync your outside accounts with Betterment now and see how much you’re being charged by other investment providers.
How Betterment Helps Keep You on Track Through Tough Markets
Historical data suggests that customers who follow our advice will stay on track to reach their goals, even in a market downturn as bad as the 2008 crisis.