Good to know

Your mutual fund could report you

WASHINGTON (USA Today) - Under little-noticed rules that kick in this year, the Treasury Department is requiring mutual fund firms and insurers to report you to Uncle Sam if they note a "suspicious" transaction that might relate to money laundering or terrorism.

Banks, casinos and check-cashing shops already must flag such transactions, in a "suspicious activity report" (SAR) sent to the government.

Just what is a "suspicious" transaction? Definitions vary among banks, insurers and mutual fund companies. But generally, consumers who pay cash for transactions of at least $5,000 or who use bogus addresses or fake IDs are more likely to have personal information - names, addresses, e-mails, Social Security numbers and account numbers - reported to the government.