Health, Finance, and Home: March Consumer Reports Examines the Top Mutual Fund Picks, the...

Business Editors

YONKERS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 2003

ARTERY-CLOGGING TRANS FAT LURKING IN MANY SEEMINGLY HEART-HEALTHY FOODS Many seemingly heart-healthy foods, made with vegetable oils containing little saturated fat and no cholesterol, harbor the most heart-unfriendly

fat of all: trans fat, which currently isn't labeled. Consumer Reports(R) (CR) tested 30 top-selling foods likely to harbor trans fat. The results, reported in the March issue, reveal substantial amounts of trans and saturated fat in many products, mainly fast foods and snack foods. But testers also found noteworthy doses of those unhealthful fats in some less-obvious items, such as breakfast cereal and frozen waffles. Banquet Chicken Pot Pie is the top artery-clogging product on CR's list. A surprising runner-up for top artery-clogger: Mrs. Smith's Apple Pie. Other foods that consumers might not suspect of harboring bad fats: Nabisco Wheat Thins, Kellogg's Cracklin' Oat Bran Cereal, Kellogg's Eggo Buttermilk Frozen Waffles, and Pillsbury Buttermilk Frozen Waffles.

60 WINNERS TO BOOST YOUR PORTFOLIO The stock market could be volatile for at least a year, and it won't necessarily trend upward. At the same time, interest rates seem to have nowhere to go but up, making bonds a risky bet. If you're investing for the long haul, however, invest with assurance if you follow Consumer Reports' suggestions as outlined in "Where to Invest Now," from CR's March 2003 issue. Consumer Reports, using data from fund- and stock-rating company Morningstar, has identified 40 promising equity funds. To round out your portfolio, we've selected 20 bond funds with much of the same stringent criteria.

ALSO IN CR'S ANNUAL MUTUAL FUND PACKAGE: 5 BEST-KEPT SECRETS AND HOW TO AVOID HIDDEN DANGERS Few funds give their investors much more than the law demands: a description of their legal structures, summaries of investment strategies, data on past performance, and details on commissions and expenses. What you don't know can hurt you. So Consumer Reports' March 2003 issue identifies five things that mutual funds should be telling you to help you make better fund choices. We also offer some guidance for avoiding the worst potential problems.

BIGGEST TV ISSUE EVER Consumer Reports offers shoppers the scoop on everything from the basics of cable vs. satellite to an inside look at the performance of regular TVs, rear-projection TVs, and high-definition TVs in an effort to help consumers answer the question: What kind of TV set matches my home-viewing needs? The nearly 20-page package also has tips for hooking up your TV and expert advice on other emerging TV technologies.

ALSO IN THE ISSUE:

-- Green Tea: Tonic in a teapot

-- Autos: Dollars and sense in small sedans