10 easy steps to the simple (financial) life.

Your desk is littered with bills, fund prospectuses, tax forms, and credit-card offers, and you don't know where to start. You have no idea how your investments are doing or whether you're on track for retirement. And you just learned, six months after everybody else, that your mutual fund has tanked and its manager is off in a country with no extradition treaty.

How can you get it all done without spending every spare moment holed up in your den?

In this special report, you'll find some easy-as-pie solutions that will put you back in control. Here's what's on offer:

 
10 ways to unclutter your desk                              16 
60 stock mutual funds with consistently high returns        18 
 3 simple portfolios to match your investment goals         19 
 5 financial trends to keep your eye on in the coming year  23 

The only downside: Now you have no excuse not to get your money matters in order.

1 Put your savings on autopilot. Have your employer deposit your paycheck directly into your checking account and then instruct the fund company of your choosing to move a specified amount from checking into a money-market or other fund once a month. Direct deposit might even save you money because many banks waive fees if you use it.

2 Pay bills online. The process is speedy, cuts down on paper clutter in your home, and spares you from scrounging for stamps. All major banks and credit unions now let you pay bills online, and an increasing number allow you to receive your bills at their Web sites as well. Most banks provide the service at no charge. If you're worried about online identity theft, relax. Paying bills online is actually safer than sending checks through the mail.