Debt and leverage can look exactly the same on a statement, but they are not the same financially. Deborah Ellis explains how mortgages, education, business borrowing, insurance, and retirement accounts illustrate the difference – and the question to ask before deciding whether a financial obligation is helping or hurting your future.

“Buy low, sell high” may be the most familiar investing advice there is. But deciding what actually qualifies as low or high is much more complicated. Deborah Ellis explains why context, valuation, your goals, and your own relationship with money matter more than the latest hot stock tip.