Do you thinks that there are more important things to worry about than bothering about managing your own money. Like how the Finance Minister is handling the Nation's budget. Saving where he should spend and spending where he should save! Or how RBI is managing the monetary policies for the country. Or the Sub prime mess that is raising a stink in the US (and worldwide).

And if you are done with that, you need to worry about your Company's finances. Whether the capital is enough and accounting ratios are on the right track. And we have complex financial statements and models to keep us informed about the financial health of the company.

So where does handling my own money stand in the pecking order? You need to answer that for yourself. And that's why it's called personal finance, I guess!

High mutual fund costs have historically acted as a drag on performance, while lower costs have translated into better returns over the long run.  Vanguard has this illuminating article on the costs of investing through Fund Managers of various kinds.