MONEY FUND YIELDS CONTINUE TO CLIMB

The latest report on money-market-fund yields shows that three funds are now paying more than 5 percent. The top performer is Benham's Prime Money Market Fund, based in Mountain View, California, which was yielding 5.12 percent. In second place, yielding 5.09 percent, is the Olde Premium Plus Money Market Series, available through the discount broker Olde. The Dreyfus Basic Money Market fund is third, with a 5.02 percent yield. The average money-market fund is paying only 4.35 percent, up from 4.29 percent last week, according to the weekly report by IBC/Donoghue.