An all-you-need-to-know introduction to mutual funds--ideal for tentative beginners as well as veterans looking for a brush-up on the fundamentals of "wealth building" Smart Definitions of blended funds, balanced funds, and closed-end funds Smart Strategies for college savings, tax-free funds, and retirement plans Smart Tips on how to find reliable fund families and managers, and how to ride a volatile market Smart Advice on diversifying your investments, capitalizing on "bull" and "bear" market cycles, committing to aggressive growth funds, knowing when to "sell short," and much more Smart Tips on calculating interest-rate risk, choosing between taxable and tax-exempt funds, analyzing a fund's performance history, and matching your fund family's goals and style with your own Smart Insights into how mutual funds perform against CDs, individual stocks and bonds, and treasury securities Quick reading and easy referencing with a comprehensive index and loads of sidebars and tables Smart Guides take readers seriously. They satisfy even the most curious person's desire to know the essentials about any of a wide range of topics--from vitamins to mutual funds to stress relief. It's all about good reading and expert information. The choice is yours.