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Home Study Course Targets Beginning Investors

To help Americans make the transition from "saver" to "investor," and familiarize readers with dozens of specific investment products, Rutgers Cooperative Extension offers a basic investing home study course called Investing For Your Future. The course is available in both print form and on the Internet. The Web site address for the online version is www.investing.rutgers.edu.

Investing For Your Future includes 158 pages of text, including 11 units, "action steps" that encourage readers to improve their finances, and a comprehensive glossary of investment terms. The online version of the course also includes an opportunity for readers to have an investment question answered by personal finance experts at over a dozen universities, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and the U.S. Treasury Department.

The course begins with units on basic topics such as setting goals, investment principles (e.g., diversification), and "finding" money to invest. It then discusses specific types of investments, including stock, fixed-income securities, and mutual funds. There are also units that focus specifically on tax-advantaged investing and investments that can be purchased for $1,000 or less. The last three units cover investor resources (e.g., books, Web sites), how to select professional financial advisors, and information about types and warning signs of investment fraud.

To receive the print version of Investing For Your Future, contact your local Rutgers Cooperative Extension office weekdays during business hours. The cost, including postage, is $15. The course can also be obtained by mail from Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Sussex County, 129 Morris Turnpike, Newton, NJ 07860. Make checks payable to "HE Programs and Bulletins."

Persons with Internet access can obtain Investing For Your Future at no charge. Online users are asked to complete an electronic registration form and are eligible to receive a certificate of completion. The online version of the course also includes links to dozens of Web sites that provide additional investing information.