Spare Change

Survey Says

Mathematician- turned-money manager James Simons topped the list of the 25 highest-paid hedge fund managers last year, bringing home an estimated $1.5 billion, according to Alpha magazine. Calling the figures “staggering,” the magazine’s editor noted it took annual pay of $130 million to crack the top-25 list. The average pay: $363 million.

Mortgage Watch

More mortgage applicants are seeking adjustable-rate mortgages that could saddle them with bigger monthly payments if interest rates keep going up. Those borrowers likely are using adjustable loans to borrow more than they could with fixed ones — which means they may be taking on more debt than they should. If you’re shopping for a mortgage now, the standard 30-year, fixed-rate type is almost certainly your best bet.

Money Trip

Consumers may be getting plucked at the chicken counter. A glut of chickens that has built partly because of foreign fears of avian flu is slashing wholesale prices to the lowest levels in three decades, but retail prices aren’t falling at the same speed. The price charged by processors for whole broilers has dropped 19 percent in a year, but retail poultry prices are down just 1 percent. Americans eat nearly 86 pounds of chicken per capita and spend roughly $50 billion annually for it.

Wise Planning

Q. Do I need to buy disability insurance?

A. Most people think of disability as the kind of illness or injury that puts someone in a wheelchair, but it’s more likely to be the result of back pain, diabetes, depression or hypertension. Many people think they’ll be OK because they have workers’ compensation, but that government- mandated insurance only covers you when you’re hurt or sick because of a work-related situation.