In Brief

By Julie Rawe

CHIP IN FOR BLUE CHIPS Can't afford $125 for a share of GE? Buy it on the installment plan. Starting in mid-November, even the smallest investors will be able to buy partial shares of some 300 heavily traded stocks on Sharebuilder.com With no minimum required to open an account or make a trade, this site is geared for beginners--i.e., mutual-fund investors curious about stock picking or kids just cracking open their piggy banks--and charges only $2 a purchase ($1 for kids) and $20 a sale.

XXX RATED The insurance industry has been crying wolf for years, claiming long-term life-insurance rates may double come January if companies have to maintain larger cash reserves as mandated by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. So far, states have balked at the stricter XXX rule (for the Roman numeral), and rates have fallen dramatically. This year 25 states are mulling a softer version. If enacted, XXX will mean higher premiums or shorter-term guarantees. Even if XXX fails, locking in today's cheap rates couldn't hurt.

PC FOR CHRISTMAS? Maybe not Laptops may be hard to get this holiday season because of a liquid-crystal-display-panel shortage. Analysts say manufacturers will meet only 86% of demand this year, and you can expect longer wait lists for models with larger screens and higher resolution. The September quake in Taiwan threw off memory-chip production too. Rather than raising prices, some makers may end up giving less bang for your buck. Best advice: buy now or well after Christmas.

--By Julie Rawe