Ey uring the last few months, s e viera l people have asked different kinds of questions _ about mutual funds. Historically, the questions have been about the cost of purchasing funds and the different types of funds available such as equity, bonds or money market. Some have asked about the frequency of investor reporting. Usually the questions are fairly tangible. However, lately there have been many more subtle and intangible types of concerns that investors want answered. The reason for this is undoubtedly because more individuals have turned to mutual funds and to many of these Subtle SALES | Are You Unemployed and Receiving U.L. Benefits? Merrick Homes sales representative Cal Etlin (left) receives congratulations from Derek Lobo (centre), New Home Specialist (Canada) and Bob Schultz, President New Home Specialist (U.S.) for being named the number one sales agent out of 100 new home sites from Burlington to Bomanville. A fiveâ€"year Merrick sales veteran, Etlin has sold many Merrick projects in addition to Oakville, including Orillia, Oshawa, Whitby and Barrie. New Home Specialist, a sales and marketing firm, conducted a study surveying how new home sales reps handled potential customers. A young mystery couple with a budget of $250,000 was hired to visit 100 new home sites in the greater Metro Toronto area and completed an inâ€"depth questionnaire rating all sales people they met. Sheridan College has a limited number of seats available in the following fullâ€"time programs designed for you to enter into specific trade or tradeâ€"related industries. * Fitterâ€"Welder, 46â€"week coâ€"op This program is funded by The Halton and Peel Industries Training Advisory Committee (HAPITAC) Start Date: Monday, June 27 * Fitterâ€"Welder, 40 weeks * Industrial Maintenance Mechanic, 48 weeks These two programs are funded by Human Resources Development Canada. Start Date: Monday, August 29 Location: Prerequisite: Contact: Sheridan College Skills Training Centre 407 Iroquois Shore Road, Oakville Proof of Grade 10 or a functionalâ€"level test is required. Receiving unemployment insurance benefits. Call (905) 815â€"4100 to register or for more information. EP HONO components to mutual funds newcomers, mutual funds feel different to what they used to. One area of interest is the actual investments that a fund would own. Particularly _ for individuals that have owned specific securities in the past, there seems to be a less tangible feeling to owning mutual funds versus owning the specific securities. Full investment information is provided to prospective _ and current mutual fund investors. A list of all investments owned C‘O L LEG E is included in this information. For example, a balanced fund would own a number of w e 1 1 â€" k n o w n companies such as, some of the large Canadian banks and a number of high quality bonds which in many cases are guaranteed by the federal government. Thee . types â€" of investments would feel quite comfortable if they were owned directly but the feeling is more distant when they are owned through a mutual fund. Another comment is that the mutual fund does not pay a dividend. The fund will receive dividends just like any other investor, however this money is just reâ€"invested into the fund. If you want regular payments from the fund, then you should establish an automatic withdrawl program and have a specific amount of funds sent to you or, in most cases, deposited directly into your bank account. The dividends are there; it is just a matter of deciding if you want a regular source of income. There is also an attitude that the investment is not liquid. Mutual funds are liquid although the consensus is that investing in mutual funds is done for along A Canada _ Savings Bond feels more liquid because it is often less appropriate to hold this type of investment over a longer term. Occasionally, someone will inquire about a mutual fund certificate. These are available on request «Great price â€" $198,000. *Sparkling new broadloom «Large eatâ€"in kitchen with brand new floor «family room with fireplace *Double garage *Full sized lot *Close to schools *«Central airâ€"conditioning and central vacum FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 1994 PAGE 22 The Difference is Attitude ANN SINGLEHURST Sales Representative Bus:(905) 844â€"5000 people properties inc. sufton groupâ€" however they are not requested very often. In its place, you receive a mutual fund confirmation statement that provides the information such as the number of units that are owned and the price per unit. Mutual _ funds often have small distributions _ of additional units and therefore it is more convenient to receive updated confirmation statements as opposed to issuing additional ownership certificates. This is different from owning specific shares in a company when you would receive aâ€" share certificate. like most investments; they have their own characteristics. It‘s just a matter of Peter Watson, MBA, CFP, RFP is the President of Peter Watson Investments Ltd., an Oakville firm specializing in retirement planning, RRSPs and investment planning. He can be reached at 842â€"7602. accustomed to the subtle differences of owning mutual funds. Mutual funds are