CHECKING OUT YOUR BROKER
With the stock market gyrations of the past month looking like they may continue, this is possibly a time for you to check out your stock broker. The following organizations offer assistance in researching consumer stock brokers: National Association of Securities Dealers, 800-289-9999, www.nasdr.com Some information is already online, but you may have to call or E-mail for a broker's disciplinary record (CRD). North American Securities Administrators Association, 202-737-0900, www.nasaa.org Offers a free pamphlet, How to Check Out a Broker, to help you decode a CRD; provides phone numbers of state securities regulators. National Registry of Financial Services, 888-673-7701, www.national registry.com Private company that does background checks on brokers for $59 each.