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Focus on International and Dividend Funds

Humberto Cruz, Tribune Media Services, focuses on "broadly diversified international mutual funds and on index mutual funds and exchange-traded funds that invest in U.S. stocks with a history of raising dividends," in this column from The Orange County Register. He says, "Regarding international funds, I see a welcome trend toward more diversified offerings," and "Compared to investing in bonds that pay a fixed rate of interest, investing in stocks that increase dividends regularly can allow investors to receive a growing stream of income over time, while possibly also seeing stock prices go up," and notes that "Qualifying dividends, at least through 2008 when the current law expires, are taxed at lower rates than bond interest income." In the article Cruz provides more pros and cons, and profiles several funds and fund families in these categories.