Background Information Provided by the Office of Gary Pagar Like many other sectors of the investment market, health

care investing has rece ntly become more challenging. While many professional financial advisors still c onsider this field to be relatively stable and to offer significant potential fo r long-term profitability, investors should be familiar with recent trends and i ssues that can be problematic. Demographers expect that over the next two decades, the United States population ag es 65 and over will double. This aging population virtually ensures a steady mar ket for the full range of health care products and services. Companies that manu facture high-usage, low-cost devices such as needles, syringes, and intravenous treatment equipment should see demand for their products continue to increase. E ven makers of more expensive items, such as pacemakers, should expect high level s of demand. Among the factors that could have negative impacts on the health care segment s prof its are increasing pressure from government agencies to control costs, the chall enge of new regulations, and the need to redesign older information technology s ystems to keep pace with developments in the industry. Companies poised to assis t in containing costs through providing greater efficiency may be able to achiev e significant gains, as may those in the growing area of personalized care and b iotechnology innovations. Investment banker Gary Pagar has extensive senior executive experience in positi ons with several leading U.S. firms. He possesses particular knowledge of invest ment strategies in the health care and consumer products industries.