Spare Change

Fund Fact

The Dallas-based Vice Fund has left political correctness to others; the 4-year-old fund invests in casino stocks and in companies that make liquor, tobacco and bombs. And it’s been a consistent top performer, beating the Standard & Poor’s 500 index in each of the past three years.

Money Tip

Vehicle title insurance is increasingly being promoted by car makers, dealers and others as way to reassure buyers of used cars. Called TitleGuard, the policies offer financial protection if information in a vehicle’s title history report turns out to be inaccurate. Consider it if you’re buying an older used car, buying from a private party or online, or are looking at a car that has been moved around between states a lot.

Net Nugget

No matter what your age, it’s important to keep track of Social Security developments and its long-term prospects:

“AARP

www.aarp.org/ money/social_ security/

“The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

www.aicpa.org/ members/ socsec.htm

“Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

www.cbpp.org/ pubs/socsec.htm

Tax Watch

The U.S. Tax Court is authorized to impose a penalty of as much as $25,000 on someone for delay tactics or for making “frivolous or groundless” arguments, such as that there is no law requiring Americans to pay income taxes, or that “wages” aren’t really income, or that paying taxes somehow is voluntary. Judges are losing patience with these and other similar claims.