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December 5, 2004 08:06 AM

Giving Children Funds As Gifts


Excerpt: If you're tired of fighting traffic, can't find the right thing for your kids online or simply want to try to give a gift with a purpose this year, go fund shopping.


If you're tired of fighting traffic, can't find the right thing for your kids online or simply want to try to give a gift with a purpose this year, go fund shopping.

There are no lines, no congested parking lots and a huge selection, but there are also a few twists to navigate and decisions to make.

With that in mind, here's a holiday shopper's guide to giving children funds as gifts.

For starters, enter the gift-investment process knowing that your favorite funds may not be available as "the perfect gift."

Many fund companies have established "gift of shares" programs. Following the lead of Franklin Templeton and Alliance, these generally amount to a card or certificate good for a formal presentation, along with a pledge to make an investment in the recipient's name.

The recipient typically gets to pick the fund of his or her choice from within the fund family.

The Monetta funds go a bit further with the Monetta Express program, which combines strong educational materials with nice gift items and low minimum investments. The problem is that the company's funds are nothing to rave about; three of the six offerings get a one-star rating from Morningstar Inc. and none gets more than three stars.

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Read all 32 posts in the same category of Anything Else:

‘Tis The Season For Wall Street Bonuses - Dec 17, 2004
Coping With Rising Rates - Dec 14, 2004
Financial Resolutions - Dec 11, 2004
IBM Cash Balance Plan Ending - Dec 09, 2004
John Snow Staying On At Treasury - Dec 09, 2004
Topping Off the Biggest Gas Tank - Dec 07, 2004
What To Do With A Dud Gift - Dec 07, 2004
Putting Your Financial House In Online Order - Dec 07, 2004
Social Security Reform: A Guide - Dec 06, 2004
The Disparate Consensus on Health Care for All - Dec 06, 2004
Bank Machine Dispenses Fake Money - Dec 02, 2004
Account Aggregation: All-In-One Convenience - Dec 01, 2004
A Life Fulfilled - Nov 30, 2004
A Seal Of Good Giving - Nov 28, 2004
More Are Saying It With Plastic: Gift Cards The Holiday Present Of Choice - Nov 26, 2004
Use Open Enrollment To Review Health-Insurance Plan - Nov 25, 2004
The Pitfalls of VOIP - Nov 23, 2004
Business Airfares, Down 11%, Might Be Lowest Ever - Nov 22, 2004
International Lottery Scams - Nov 22, 2004
Work-at-Home Schemes - Nov 22, 2004
Medical Billing Opportunities: Worth a Second Opinion - Nov 22, 2004
The Lowdown on Chain Letters - Nov 22, 2004
The Bottom Line About Multilevel Marketing Plans - Nov 22, 2004
Get-Rich-Quick & Self-Employment Schemes - Nov 22, 2004
Could 'Biz Opp' Offers Be Out For Your Coffers? - Nov 22, 2004
Costly Coupon Scams - Nov 22, 2004
8 Lottery Winners Who Lost Their Millions - Nov 22, 2004
Ranks of U.S. Millionaires Surge - Nov 16, 2004
What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits - Nov 14, 2004
How Much Are You Really Worth? - Nov 06, 2004
What the Bush Victory Means for Consumers - Nov 03, 2004