Investing Unit 6: About the Author

• Introduction
• Unit 1: Basic Building Blocks of Successful Financial Management
• Unit 2: Investing Basics
• Unit 3: Finding Money to Invest
• Unit 4: Ownership Investments
• Unit 5: Fixed-Income Investing
• Unit 6: Mutual Fund Investing

• What is a Mutual Fund?
• Why Mutual Funds?
• Advantages of Mutual Fund Investing
• Disadvantages
• Marketplace
• Index Funds
• Cost and Where to Buy
• Find the Right Mutual Fund
• Summary
• Action Steps
• About the Author

• Unit 7: Tax-Deferred Investments
• Unit 8: Investing Small Dollar Amounts
• Unit 9: Getting Help: Investing Resources
• Unit 10: Selecting Financial Professionals
• Unit 11: Investment Fraud

• Study Guide
• Action Steps
• Monthly Investment Messages
• Glossary

Author Profile

Patricia Brennan, a Certified Financial Planner® licensee (CFP), was an Extension educator with Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County (New Jersey) from 1981 to 2008. She held the tenured faculty rank of Associate Professor at Cook College, Rutgers University, and taught 80+ personal finance classes for approximately 4,000 adults annually. Brennan is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC), and a Certified Housing Counselor (CHC). She appeared regularly on the Cablevision cable TV show 'Money Counts,' and made guest appearances on CNBC and News 12 New Jersey. Brennan is the co-author of Money Talk: A Financial Guide for Women. She has made more than 35 national professional conference presentations and contributed numerous articles for professional journals and proceedings. Ms. Brennan earned a B.S. in Home Economics from Immaculata University and a M.A. in Education from Montclair State University.