  We discuss how an anomalous U(1) symmetry when appended to MSSM and SUSY GUTs
[e.g. SU(5)] can help overcome a variety of puzzles related to charged fermion
masses and mixings, flavor changing processes, proton decay and neutrino
oscillations. Proton lifetime for SU(5) GUT, in particular, is predicted in a
range accessible to the ongoing or planned searches.
