Exposing the seamy underbelly of the retail mutual fund industry, this helpful primer by seasoned financial advisor Edelman offers step-by-step instructions for how to beat it at its own game. We have more to worry about than the ordinary fallibility of mutual fund managers, he explains; the entire industry has become flush with liars, crooks, and charlatans. Writing in a calm, well-reasoned manner, Edelman (Ordinary People, Extraordinary Wealth) explores basic concepts of portfolio management and retirement, and college and elder-care savings approaches. The book gets off to a slow start as Edelman works to ensure that less sophisticated readers are not passed by. After a sobering look at deceptive marketing practices, illegal market timing, late trading and excessive and hidden fees in the retail mutual fund sector, Edelman breaks down the options for ordinary people to regain their savings from crooked hands, in a detailed, interactive guide to portfolio selection. Edelman's clear writing and helpful advice are sure to win him a satisfied audience