Don't fall for farce called National Gold Exchange
Dear Mr. Berko: I want to buy $6,000 worth of gold and have listened to and read about some of the exchanges that sell gold to the public like The National Gold Exchange that will sell me gold at wholesale. They said gold will go to $2,000 an ounce this year. I want to get the best price and my wife told me to write you because you may know of a selling group that offers the best price, even better than The National Gold Exchange. I would greatly appreciate your recommendation, because gold will double in the next year and I think this is a good opportunity to make a big score. -- W.F., Aurora

Don’t fall for gold exchange farce
Dear Mr. Berko: I want to buy $6,000 worth of gold and have listened to and read about some of the exchanges that sell gold to the public like The National Gold Exchange that will sell me gold at wholesale.

'Securitization' had nothing to do with security
Dear Mr. Berko: My broker has recommended that I buy (a) bond that he says ... is "securitized," which he says means the investment is secure. As you can see, it's a $100,000 face value bond that I can buy for $63,000 and pays an extremely high rate of interest, which really makes this very attractive. Do you think this is a good investment? Also, this broker had my sister buy 10,000 shares of General Motors stock at 81 cents per share. He says it's a good gamble and after the company is liquidated, these new shares could be worth a lot of money if GM becomes profitable again. I'd like your opinion on this, too. -- C.C., Moline

‘Securitization’ and GM investments
Malcom Berko: Dear Mr. Berko: My broker has recommended that I buy (a) bond that he says ... is "securitized," which he says means the investment is secure. As you can see, it's a $100,000 face value bond that I can buy for $63,000 and pays an extremely high rate of interest, which really makes this very attractive. Do you think this is a good investment?

Post-retirement CDs stiff seniors
Dear Mr. Berko: We've been depending on CDs for the last four years for safety and income. And we have been moving our CD money around at various banks to get the most income we can, especially when one bank offers a little more than another. This is becoming nerve-wracking and tiresome and in the last year or so, with rates now at 1.75 percent, we are hurting badly. We have $385,000 in CDs now that earn less than $8,000 a year, when a year ago, they were earning $17,000 in interest. That loss of $9,000 is hurtful to us. We are 72 and 74, respectively. I get a retirement check of $806 each month, plus $783 in pension income and I work part-time at Home Depot. My wife has a part-time job, too, in a chiropractor's office and gets about $400 in Social Security. It's difficult for us because we almost feel that we are living from hand to mouth when it comes time to pay our bills. If you have any ideas on how to increase our income safely, we would appreciate your thoughts. -- E.P., Oklahoma City

Why I have Yahoo now
Dear Mr. Berko: I think I would like to buy 50 shares of Comcast, which trades for $14.77 a share. Please tell me what you think of this company and if you think it's a good investment. And please tell me why you switched your e-mail from Comcast to Yahoo and Gmail. -- P.R., Boca Raton, Fla.