The Globe and Mail's Smart Money section is dedicated to giving you what you need to manage your personal finances successfully. Smart Money appears every Saturday in The Globe and Mail and on globeinvestor.com.

Dos and don'ts of buying top performers

Everyone likes a winner, but to the aura of high ratings and industry honours, add old-fashioned research and risk assessment

By SHIRLEY WON

INVESTMENT FUNDS REPORTERAs the deadline looms at the end of this month for registered retirement saving plan contributions, investors will see more companies boast about their award-winning mutual funds.

A retirement rescue plan for non-savers

By ROB CARRICK

rcarrick@globeandmail.comYou were told to save for retirement, but you didn't listen.Presenting a rescue plan, not a lecture.When you retire, sell your house and invest the proceeds in dividend stocks. Add Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security and you might just squeeze by. At worst, you'll have an extremely tax-efficient stream of retirement income while you keep a hand in the work force.

Sock away money now - the rest will follow

By MARY GOODERHAM

Putting away money in registered retirement savings plans is a force of habit at this time of year. But the inclination - as well as the goals and strategies - can vary for people at different stages of life, from the ''Who me, retire?'' 20s to the ''Do I have enough?'' 60s.

Road racing risk-taker plays it safe with RRSPs

'Creative borrowing' early in his life gave Canadian competitive driver the impetus to pay down debt and begin building wealth

By LORRAINE SOMMERFELD

''Oh, I'm absolutely not a risk taker,'' Ron Fellows says. His warm eyes dance, betraying not a hint of irony.Not a risk taker? A man who is considered one of North America's best road racing drivers, in a career spanning nearly three decades and winning everything from NASCAR to the 24 Hours of Le Mans? A man who was so certain of his future as a race car driver, he maxed out credit cards and took out bank loans to keep racing?

Amid volatility, what to do with your money?

It's gut-check time. Some investors are ready to dive in, others are hesitating but afraid they'll miss an upswing in the markets

By LAURA RAMSAY

With stock markets moving in tandem with a Drop Zone amusement park ride, and interest-bearing products paying next to nothing, many investors are wondering what to do with their RRSP investments this year - or whether to make one.

Who pays whom? ETFs bring change to the table

By JOHN HEINZL

For years, do-it-yourself investors have been flocking to exchange-traded funds for their low cost, diversification and trading flexibility.Now, ETFs are also growing in popularity with financial advisers, a trend that is helping to change the way they charge clients for their services.

Young workers know they need to save for the future, but ...

Longer job hunts, lower wages and significant debt are delaying their ability to meet saving goals

By JESSICA HUME

That David Dick-Agnew is 33 and has an RRSP puts him among the minority of his demographic. Fewer than half of Canadians between 18 and 34 have begun saving for retirement and only 43 per cent reported having RRSP accounts last year, according to an annual bank-sponsored Ipsos Reid study released in January.

How to turn on the money taps

Which income sources to draw from - and when - to maximize your income after retirement

By DIANNE MALEY

You've saved for retirement most of your adult life and now it's time to begin drawing on your stash. Where to start?You might have a pension - a defined-benefit plan indexed to inflation, or a defined-contribution plan tied to financial markets. You might have money coming in from the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security. Then there's your registered retirement savings plan, your tax-free savings account and your investment portfolio. Those whose income is very low will qualify for the Guaranteed Income Supplement.

The real daycare challenge: making money

Edleun believes there are big profits to be made in private-sector child care. Investors may want to see results first

By DAVID MILSTEAD

Edleun, the private-sector company storming into Ontario as part of its plan to dominate the Canadian child-care industry, has kicked up a fuss with people who question whether it's an area in which large corporations should profit.

Tiptoeing - gingerly - into retirement

Couple need to plan carefully to minimize taxes and maximize their chances of a footloose future

By DIANNE MALEY

After years of running their own company, Cameron and Carol find their priorities are shifting. She is 65, he is 55.A couple of years ago, Carol had a health scare. While she still does a bit of office work for the company, she and Cameron would like to spend more time together travelling throughout Europe.