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...ony transcends the cloudy arena of junk science. Courts throughout the nation ...

...ecoming even more effective as the junk moves to E-mail. What finally arrives ...

... . Bond funds, as the name implies, emphasize bonds in their portfolios to provide income to investors. The risk associated with bond funds varies, depending on the types of bonds utilized in the portfolio. The prospectus will warn investors of a potential problem. It might say that the fund invests in lower-quality bonds that are subject to greater risk. This could mean that the fund will invest in junk bonds, ' which are extremely risky. To understand mutual funds of this kind, it is helpful to understand the distinction between taxable bond funds and tax-free bond funds. Taxable Bond Funds-This type of bond fund invests in corporate bonds and other fixed-income securities. A corporate bond is a security that represents a debt owed by the corporation. The interest rate will be dependent upon the size and financial ... . An open-ended fund will continue to issue shares to any investor who wants them. Since most funds are open-ended, the following material deals with them. LICENSING REQUIREMENTS In order to become eligible to sell mutual funds, an agent must be licensed. In most cases, there are federal and state requirements that must be met. The Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 empowered the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (NASD) to set standards for licensing. The agent who wishes to sell mutual funds must obtain a Series 6 license. To obtain that license, the agent must be sponsored by a securities broker/dealer and must pass a test administered by the NASD. In addition to the federal requirement, most states have their own securities laws, called blue sky' laws. ...

...mean that the fund will invest in 'junk bonds,' which are extremely risky. To...