In Brief: Jan. 24, 2000

ARM STRENGTH With interest rates rising, the case for adjustable-rate mortgages gets stronger. Nearly a third of the home-mortgage market is written in ARMs now, up from 11% a year ago. Is an ARM right for you? In general, the shorter the time you plan on staying put, the better the case for an ARM. They are commonly available in six-month and one-year varieties or hybrids that are fixed for one, three, five, seven and 10 years. The shorter the term, the lower the initial interest rate.

BLUER SKIES JetBlue Airways, a new airline, is trying to wow travelers with irreverent ads, wider seats and new planes. With cheap fares and solid investment backing from the likes of George Soros, the company seems as if it has a shot. Nearly one-third of start-ups since '92 have failed, but optimism abounds. JetBlue isn't the only start-up ready to take wing. Twenty-four others are awaiting FAA certification too.

DRUG TRADE Large drugstore chains such as CVS and Rite Aid are selling prescription drugs online for 10% to 30% less than they charge in their stores. Why? They'd rather give their customers online discounts than lose them to another Web store. The trend doesn't stop at drugs. It's spilling over into other industries, such as books, music and computers. So the next time you think about dropping that prescription at your local drugstore, check the website first.

--By Anamaria Wilson