How to Invest in Smith Barney Mutual Funds

Smith Barney began in the late 19th century in Philadelphia as a meeting of the minds between a young broker and a young investment banker. Today, Smith Barney resides under the umbrella of CitiGroup and can claim over eight million client accounts. When deciding how to invest in Smith Barney mutual funds, you need to do your homework. With such a wide variety of mutual fund choices, it's important to know what you're after.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer

1. Decide how much you plan to invest and why. Mutual funds are good for mid- to long-range goals such as college funds and retirement accounts. Short-term goals are better served by CDs and even more liquid accounts.

2. Get on the Smith Barney website and register as a guest. Select "Register for Smith Barney access" from the blue Get Started menu in the center of the screen.

3. Look up the Smith Barney mutual funds that match your goals as an investor. Click the "Research & Commentaries"; tab, and then look under "Research Tools"; for "Mutual Fund Search". This search tool allows you to sort funds by recent return percentages or length of investment you desire.

4. Order a prospectus for each Smith Barney mutual fund you're interested in.

5. Read each prospectus carefully.

6. Check your prospective fund's risk rating at the Morningstar Web site.

7. Contact a Smith Barney advisor by phone or through the Web site to initiate your investment.

8. Use your local paper or the Internet to track the NAV (net asset value) of the mutual fund you've chosen.

Tips & Warnings

• Decide what your investment goals are before talking to a Smith Barney financial advisor. You'll feel more confident from the start if you can bring that to the table.
• Contact your Smith Barney advisor if you have questions about the nature of the fund or anything on your monthly statement.
• Be aware that you're in it for the long haul. Dips in value are natural in the investment world.
• Smith Barney is an enormous company. Don't look for hand-holding from your advisor. Be proactive about seeking help from him or her.
• Use the investment resources offered on the Smith Barney website, but not to the exclusion of more objective sources.