In Brief: Oct. 25, 1999

MUTUAL-FUND TAX DODGE On average, domestic mutual funds lose 2.5% of their total returns to capital-gains taxes, and few companies advertise their aftertax performance. Vanguard has become the first big firm to do so; others may follow. Until then, tax-minded investors–those investing outside an IRA or 401(k)–can find about 30 funds that are actively managed to minimize the tax hit. Here are a few top performers:

TOP TAX-MANAGED FUNDS

Total Return Lost to Fund One Year* Taxes

Standish Small Cap 57% 0% Tax-Sensitive

Eaton Vance 40% 0% Tax-Mgd Intl GrA

Bridgeway Ultra- 37% 1% Large 35 Index

Vanguard 37% 1% Tax-Mgd Cap App

*Through 9/30/99 Source: Morningstar

DIE ONLINE Yes, e-death was inevitable. You can now buy an 18-gauge-steel Pieta model casket with velvet interior for $845 at eCasketz.com Even when you tack on as much as $500 for overnight delivery, you’ll end up paying less than the $2,400 some mortuaries charge. But the Net has its limits–you’ll still need help getting into that casket. Undertakers have tried to recoup dollars lost to cut-rate casket sellers by raising their service fees, up 9.6% over the past two years, to an average of $1,182. These fees account for about a fourth of the typical funeral’s cost, which has nearly tripled in the past 20 years, to $5,020.

THE RISING COST OF DEATH Average cost for an adult’s funeral*

’80 $1,809 ’85 $2,737 ’91 $3,742 ’95 $4,624 ’98 $5,020

*Not including cemetery charges Source: National Funeral Directors Association

LOSING YOUR NAME In 1997 some 350,000 people called Trans Union, one of the three big credit bureaus, to report identity theft. It’s a growing problem, and Travelers now offers its policyholders identity-fraud insurance. For $25 a year, the policy provides up to $15,000 in coverage for lost wages, expenses and legal help needed to clear up credit reports and red tape–something self-employed or hourly workers may consider. To be safe, check your credit report every six months and shred financial data before dumping them. For more safety tips, see www.consumer.gov

–By Julie Rawe