In Brief

By Carole Buia

GROWING UP FAST Investors often overlook new funds, especially small-caps without long track records. You shouldn't. This year average small-cap growth funds are outperforming their large-cap counterparts by a margin of 7%. And the No. 1 fund in the category, William Blair, has been around for less than a year. Returns like that show it's worth taking a harder look at the newcomers.

YTD* FUND RETURN INCEPTION

William Blair Small Cap/I 70.46 12/27/99 Kopp Emrg. Growth/I 59.46 10/1/97 Turner Micro Cap 40.40 2/27/98 Brinson US Small Cap 38.49 10/1/97 Bogle Small Cap 34.91 9/30/99

Source: Morningstar; YTD*: through 9/14

ID INSURANCE Identity theft is the fastest-growing white-collar crime in America, according to the FBI. True, you may be liable for only $50 on a fraudulent credit-card purchase, but restoring your good name can cost a lot more in terms of time and expense. Enter companies like Travelers and Chubb, which now offer identity-theft insurance. The policies cover a broad range of costs--from legal fees to lost wages. To learn more about how to protect yourself from fraud, visit www.consumer.gov

WAREHOUSE DEAL Tight availability of industrial space and increasing storage demand (fueled in part by dotcom retailers) are giving a big boost to the industrial REIT sector. It's up 27% year to date, according to the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. Unlike, say, the hotel industry's cycle of boom and bust, industrials tend to offer more stable returns over the long haul while serving as a hedge against inflation.

--By Carole Buia