In Brief

By Mike Eskenazi

GIVE IT UP With tech funds down more than 20% on average, 2000 is a good bet to be the first time in 15 years that the funds lose money. After NASDAQ hit bottom last week, a spate of brokerages issued pleas to stubborn tech-boom day traders to give in and learn to invest rather than just trade. Hot but stable sectors being championed include pharmaceuticals and municipal bonds.

CHRISTMA$ CHEER They may not be shiny and red, but several financial firms are offering a holiday gift idea for kids--youth-oriented growth funds. The funds generally have low entry fees ($250 to $700) and offer educational features such as newsletters describing how companies in the funds generate revenue. The Stein Roe Young Investor Fund, for example, features kid-familiar stocks such as the Gap, Disney and AOL, with descriptions of things corporate and breakdowns of industry performance.

TIME TO BUY THE FARM If you've been waiting for the real estate frenzy to die down before buying a home, now may be the time. Last week a booming bond market combined with a depressed housing market to push 30-year-mortgage rates to a 17-month low. After spending most of the year above 8%, including a stretch in May when rates hit a five-year high of 8.64%, rates slid to as low as the mid-6% area, with no major uptick in sight.

--By Mike Eskenazi