Your Money

By Daniel Eisenberg

BROKERING RAW DEALS?

If you ever wondered why a broker pitched one mutual fund over another, you're not alone. The SEC, according to the Wall Street Journal, is looking into instances of fund companies paying brokerages to push their products with extra zeal. The agency is also worried that funds might be overspending on trades to reward brokerages for fund sales. You could get hit with lower returns and higher fees, so ask funds about "exclusivity agreements."

CURVE BALL FROM THE IRS

One of Mark McGwire's unexpected triumphs last week was exposing the intricacies of the gift tax. The guy who grabbed Big Mac's 62nd home-run ball won't be saddled with a tax bill for returning it to the slugger, but you might not want to be so generous with your friends. Once a gift giver surpasses a $625,000 lifetime limit (part of his estate-tax exemption), he'll have to pay taxes each year on any gifts he hands out that are worth more than $10,000.

LOW LOAN RATES ON THE WEB

When it comes to finding the best mortgage deals, the prime real estate is in cyberspace. Starting this fall, shoppers can use priceline.com to describe the loan they're seeking and, with the help of lendingtree.com see which lenders offer the best rates and terms. More energetic loan hunters can compare offers at websites like quickenmortgage.com eloan.com and bestrate.com which are helping fuel a record $1 trillion in mortgages this year. --By Daniel Eisenberg