CFP Board eNewsletter
January 2007

(Reprinted with permission)

CFP Board's "It's Your Turn" eNewsletter enters the new year with a new look! We heard your comments about the old design and hope you find the new look cleaner and easier to read. Read more about what "It's Your Turn" readers shared in last year's reader survey.

A Dutch merchant named Adriaan van Ketwich set up the first mutual fund back in 1774. Today, more than 80 million Americans are invested in some form of Van Ketwich’s idea. Mutual funds are a popular type of investment, but there is a catch—the cost. The charges for managing and administering mutual funds can eat a big hole in your returns, and the fees are often difficult to spot. Read more about mutual fund fees in the complete article from best-selling author James Geary.

When Karen Greenberg’s son Ricky was diagnosed with autism back in 1990, she was determined to provide him with the best possible care and a lifetime of financial support. Greenberg first turned for advice to an attorney who suggested she disinherit Ricky and leave everything to her daughter, who would then have to assume responsibility for her brother’s care. That didn’t feel right to Greenberg; she didn’t want her son’s care to be her daughter’s burden. So she immersed herself in the local law library to find a solution. Read more about financial planning options and resources for families with special needs children.

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High oil prices have many wondering if the time is right to invest in oil and gas ventures. The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) has issued an alert that describes renewed activities by con artists who are attempting to lure investors into purchasing fraudulent oil and gas investments and provides tips to help you recognize and avoid oil and gas investment fraud.

The Federal Reserve Board has also issued a guide to help home-buyers decide if interest-only or adjustable-rate mortgage loans are a good bet. Home mortgage loans come in an increasingly varied range, and it pays to learn about the benefits and risks of different mortgage loan types before you make a loan commitment.

Read more about these and other financial alerts.

The decision to seek professional financial planning assistance can be one of the most important decisions you'll make. To ensure you select a competent, qualified professional with whom you feel comfortable and whose business style suits your financial planning needs. CFP Board has put together a set of 10 questions to help you interview and evaluate several financial planners to find the one that's right for you. View and print the questions from CFP Board's Web site or request a free Financial Planning Resource Kit, which contains the 10 questions brochure and other brochures to help you learn more about financial planning.

You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to CFP Board's eNewsletter. Periodically, CFP Board will e-mail you "It's Your Turn," which includes information about financial planning, financial planning tools and resources, consumer alerts and much more. Suggestions and feedback are welcome at mail@CFPBoard.org.