NO PRICE BREAKS?

When you buy a big chunk ofmutual fund shares, the fund companyoften cuts you a break on theupfront sales commission. Brokersare legally mandated to pass alongthose discounts to you, but manyaren't complying, according to ajoint study by the SEC, the NationalAssociation of SecuritiesDealers, and the New York StockExchange. The study, conducted atabout 40 brokerage firms, showedthat almost all had difficultiesapplying the proper discounts to eligibleclients. The brokers blamefailure to pass along discounts oncomputer glitches, but some criticscharge that unethical brokers mayspread big buys into multiple fundfamilies or invest it piecemeal sothey can collect bigger sales commissions.Be on guard.