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Funds

BEST U.S. STOCK FUND
Dodge & Cox Stock
Dodge & Cox Stock (symbol DODGX) boasts a 41-year pedigree and a track record for excellence that's simply superb. Compared with all diversified U.S. stock funds, it ranks in the first decile for total return for the past one, three, five, ten, 15 and 20 years. And among funds that specialize in large, undervalued companies, D&C Stock stands at number one for returns for the past ten, 15 and 20 years. There's just one problem: It's closed to new investors. But that may change someday.

BEST INTERNATIONAL STOCK FUND
Dodge & Cox International
Should you be surprised that the same people who devised the stock-picking system that made Dodge & Cox Stock so successful have succeeded just as spectacularly overseas? Stock picking by committee really works. Dodge & Cox International (DODFX) has barely been around five years, but no other no-load fund can touch its 17.6% annualized total return for the half-decade to September 1.

BEST EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND
iShares Dow Jones Select Dividend Index
There's a lot to like about ETFs, which are baskets of securities that are linked to an index and trade like stocks. Management fees are low, transaction costs are cheap, and you get the benefit of diversification. Select Dividend (DVY) mimics an index of 100 stocks that generate above-average dividend yields, such as Altria Group and Merck. From its inception in November 2003 to September 1, the ETF returned an annualized 13%.

BEST SOCIALLY SCREENED FUND
Winslow Green Growth
Winslow Green Growth managers Jack Robinson and Matt Patsky favor environmentally responsible companies. The $185-million fund (WGGFX; 888-314-9049) gained an annualized 13% over the past five years, placing it in the top 10% of all funds that invest in small, rapidly growing companies.

BEST LOW-MINIMUM FUND
Excelsior Value & Restructuring
Just $500 is enough to get you into this fund, which is a member of the Kiplinger 25, the list of our favorite funds. Manager Dave Williams excels at uncovering bargains among companies that are restructuring or are in industries that are undergoing consolidation. The $6.7-billion fund (UMBIX; 800-446-1012) gained an annualized 14% over the past decade.

BEST MONEY-MARKET FUND
Transamerica Premier Cash Reserve
You need only $1,000 to open an account (800-892-7587; www.transamericafunds.com), which yields 5.2%, and you can write an unlimited number of checks, with a $250 minimum.

BEST FUND REVIVAL
Bruce Fund
Miserably inconsistent performance once landed Bruce Fund, run by the father-and-son team of Robert and Jeff Bruce, in our Mutual Fund Hall of Shame. The fund, which invests in an odd stew of bonds and obscure small-company stocks, gained just 7% annualized from 1987 through 1999. That trailed the S&P 500 by nine percentage points per year. Then, with the end of the bull market, many of Bruce's holdings suddenly came into favor. From 2000 through August 2006, the fund trounced the S&P with an annualized 30% return. We hesitate to endorse Bruce (BRUFX; 800-872-7823), but you'll be hard-pressed to find a fund that's worked better in recent years.

Stocks and strategy

BEST STOCK TO PUT AWAY AND FORGET
Johnson & Johnson
How about this for a model of consistency: Johnson & Johnson has raised its dividend 44 consecutive years. J&J sits on three sturdy legs: pharmaceuticals, medical devices and branded consumer products, such as Band-Aid and Tylenol. Rain or shine, J&J can peddle its products. In mid September, the stock (JNJ) sold for $64 and yielded 2.4%.

BEST ONLINE BROKER
OptionsXpress
OptionsXpress (888-280-6505; http://optionsxpress.com) doesn't offer no-load funds without transaction fees, but its fee for buying and selling the 5,400 or so no-loads it does offer is just $14.95. Stock commissions are also $14.95. The firm imposes few nuisance fees and impressed us with its customer service (see The Best Online Broker).

BEST INVESTING STRATEGY
Dollar-cost averaging
Instead of investing a lump sum all at once, you divide the pot into equal amounts and invest each sliver periodically -- say, once a quarter. The conventional argument for averaging is that it allows you to buy more shares when prices are down. But averaging's main advantage is psychological: It forces you to invest when prices are down, which you might not otherwise do, and prevents you from investing too much when prices are high and euphoria is dictating investment decisions.

College savings and charitable giving

BEST 529 COLLEGE-SAVINGS PLAN
College Savings Iowa
If you get a state-tax deduction for your contribution, stick with your own state's 529 plan. If not, choose College Savings Iowa (http://collegesavingsiowa.uii.upromise.com). Iowa's low-cost plan offers 13 investment options from Vanguard, including portfolios that become more conservative as your child gets closer to college.

BEST DONOR-ADVISED FUND
Fidelity Charitable Gift
Create your own mini foundation by investing in a donor-advised fund that gives you a tax deduction now but lets you invest the money and donate it to the charities of your choice for years to come. Fidelity Charitable Gift fund (800-952-4438; www.charitablegift.org) boasts relatively low fees and fine investment options, including both Fidelity and non-Fidelity funds. You can open an account with as little as $10,000.