In Brief

MOBILE-OFFICE INSURANCE , a new brand of luggage for business travelers, is offering a little extra with its laptop bags. Each nylon bag equipped with a laptop compartment is insured for as much as $1,500 in case the piece of luggage is stolen in the first year. You just might need the coverage. Last year more than 300,000 laptops were swiped. "We wanted to add a sense of security to business travelers as they carry their virtual office with them," says firm president Katiee Quinn.

THE BRIGHT SIDE OF BONDS The year 1999 has been a tough one for bond investors. With interest rates going up, bond prices have declined. But higher bond yields also create opportunities for fixed-income investors. A tax swap--in which you sell a bond that has lost some of its value and then buy a similar bond in order to take a capital loss--allows you to realize the losses on your bond portfolio. "It's the first really good opportunity for a tax swap since 1994," says William Hornbarger, a fixed-income strategist at A.G. Edwards. A bond swap may not be such a good idea, though, if your loss is 5% or less, as transaction costs could erase any tax savings.

FREE TAXES! If you are one of the 60 million taxpayers who prepare their own taxes, H.D. Vest Financial Services wants to help you. Starting in January, you'll be able to access the company's website, , and e-file your taxes free--whether on the 1040 EZ or other, more complex tax forms. And there is no annual income maximum. Of course, if you want advice from one of its financial planners, that will cost you. "The tax return is really a blueprint for financial planning, and we want to provide financial-planning help," says H.D. Vest president Roger Ochs. The financial-planning firm expects more than 1 million people to use its free tax-filing service.