Most Investors Satisfied With Brokers

Most people who ask brokers for advice about stocks and bonds are pleased with what they hear, Wall Street’s trade group said.

Among investors with brokerage accounts, 94 percent said they were satisfied with their brokers, according to the Securities Industry Association’s second annual investor survey, conducted by Yankelovich Partners.

The rating is comparable to last year’s results.

“We are pleased that the high satisfaction ratings first identified last year have been confirmed,” said A.B. Krongard, chairman of the SIA and chief executive officer of Alex. Brown & Sons Inc. in Baltimore.

Still, 47 percent of those questioned thought brokers put their own interests ahead of investors’ interests and half thought greed as a motivation for people in the securities industry was a problem.

Though those percentages are down from last year, “the industry has much to do to address investor concerns, particularly of perceived conflicts of interest,” said Krongard.

The survey was based on the results of telephone interviews conducted with 1,500 investors nationwide from August 27 to September 22. The investors had incomes of $50,000 or more and assets of $100,000 or more.

‘Family Money’ from ‘Better Homes’

Better Homes and Gardens plans to launch a new quarterly magazine, Family Money. Focusing on retirement planning, saving for college and other familiar concerns, the mag will debut next summer. Charley Blaine, the former business/ financial editor of The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, is the editor.

Enter savings contest

Got a Christmas saving tip? Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the Inland Northwest is sponsoring a Holiday Savings Contest to collect suggestions on ways to control spending.

Each January, the overgenerous find themselves at the service’s North Division offices seeking help with debt they assumed to buy gifts.

Entries will be judged by the staff for creativity, feasibility, and potential savings. The winner will receive a $50 gift certificate.

Contestants should submit their ideas by Nov. 30. The winner will be announced Dec. 10.

For information, or to enter, call 327-3777 or 1-800-892-6854. Mailed entries should be addressed to P.O. Box 5425; Spokane, WA., 99205-0425. Mark them to the attention of Holiday Contest.

‘Credit Minder’ like check stub

One of the things you quickly learn with your first checking account is to fill out the check stub. It just takes one or two bounced checks to get the message.

But how many people keep a running tally of their “credit-card” spending? With the holiday shopping season under way, it’s a good time to start. Keeping an up-to-date record may help you restrain your spending and reduce the hangover after the holidays.

Citibank offers a free card-balance tracker called Credit Minder. You don’t have to have a Citibank card.

Or you can do it on your own. Just tuck a small piece of paper into your wallet next to the card and jot down the amount of each purchase and the date. Then add each purchase to the previous ones to keep a running total.

Brochure gives car-buying tips

Can you afford to buy a new car? How can you get a good deal?

Everybody’s Money, a magazine published by the Credit Union National Association, a trade group for credit unions, has published a brochure that offers tips on how to fit a car payment into your budget, and how to compare financing alternatives.

For a free copy, mail a selfaddressed, stamped envelope to: “You Can Afford a New Car,” CUNA Public Relations, Box 431, Madison, Wis. 53701. (Your request won’t result in any follow-up calls or mailings, said spokesman Jerry Karbon.)

If you have access to a computer, or you know someone who does, you can read about this and other consumer topics on the group’s World Wide Web site at this Internet address: http://www.cuna.org

, DataTimes