To decide which funds would  be  most appropriate for you to
          invest your hard earned money you must first decide on  what
          you  would  like to accomplish with your investments.
          
          Where are you now?  Are  you  in your twenties just starting
          out in your chosen career?  Perhaps you're in  your  fifties
          approaching the peak of your career.  Maybe you're preparing
          to  send  your oldest child off to their first day of school
          and you want to make sure  he  or she will be able to attend
          college.  Maybe you want to save and invest for  that  house
          or  vacation  hideaway you've been dreaming about for years.
          What do you want to accomplish?  What are your goals?  These
          are the questions you  must  answer  that are unique to your
          situation.

          Investing in mutual funds is not some sort of get-rich-quick
          scheme.  Investments in mutual funds are generally  for  the
          longer term - they should be measured in years, not weeks or
          months.   You  should not be investing money in mutual funds
          if you will need that money next month.
          
          Generally  your  twenties  and   thirties   are  a  time  of
          beginnings: career, marriage, children, first home, ect.  It
          is also a good time to  begin  investing  in  mutual  funds.
          With  time on your side, growth funds might be a good choice
          to begin your mutual  fund  investing.  These funds could be
          used for future college costs, a new home, and to get a head
          start on your retirement.
          
          Your forties and fifties are  likely to be your peak earning
          years.  Perhaps a time when you should  have  less  of  your
          mutual  fund  assets  in growth funds and more in income and
          tax-free income funds.
                    
          In your sixties and beyond, most of  your  biggest  expenses
          are  behind  you, i.e.  college expenses, housing, ect., and
          you have more time  to  enjoy  yourself.   Perhaps a time to
          shift more  of  your  assets  into  fixed  income  funds  to
          increase income for living expenses or leisure activities.

          We suggest you call or write a few mutual fund companies and
          ask for some literature regarding their funds.  In the  next
          few  chapters  we  have listed over 1,000 mutual funds along
          with their addresses and phone  numbers (in most cases their
          800 toll-free number).
          
          Once you receive  their  literature,  read  it!   One of the
          items you will receive is the prospectus.   All  funds  will
          provide  one.   The  prospectus  will  provide  you with the
          investment objective  of  the  fund  -  how  it invests your
          money.  It will also contain a wealth of other  information;
          how  to  buy  and  redeem  shares,  sales  charges (if any),
          initial  and   subsequent   investment   requirements,  fund
          expenses, information on the funds investment  advisor,  and
          much  more.   In  short, the prospectus contains most of the
          information you need to make an informed decision on whether
          to invest in that particular fund or not.



                             *** End of Chapter ***