CHECK OUT YOUR BROKER

Tip:

Several stories in the financialpress cover brokers cutting ethicalcorners to boost their income in hardtimes. To check on your broker'strack record, resort to the NationalAssociation of Securities Dealers'(NASD; www.nasdr.com) regulatoryWeb site and click on Broker/Adviser. Go to the NASD PublicDisclosure Program and fill in yourbroker's name or their firm name.It will make your search easier ifyou know the broker's CentralRegistration Depository number.The site also has several other usefulresources for investors, including awhole section devoted to marketnews and a glossary of financialterms that can help you decipher astock analyst's report.