Investing
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Why the stock market will struggle to rally until debt ceiling, bank woes are in rearview mirror
So much for the stock-market climbing the proverbial wall of worry. The S&P 500 index continues to struggle in a tight range and some analysts see little prospect for a breakout until two, very big worries are in the rearview mirror. No surprise, the culprits are the persistent worries about regional U.S. banks following the…
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Should couples combine finances or keep separate accounts? One option leads to a happier marriage, study finds.
Hello and welcome to Financial Face-off, a MarketWatch column where we help you weigh a financial decision. Our columnist will give her verdict. Tell us whether you think she’s right in the comments. And please share your suggestions for future Financial Face-off columns by emailing our columnist at [email protected]. Wedding season is upon us. Couples…
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‘The Fed is problem No. 1 in American finance,’ right now, says prominent market pundit
A debt-ceiling dilemma, regional-banking woes and the market’s apparent predilection for ultralow interest rates have one common factor, according to Jim Grant, prominent author of Grant’s Interest Rate Observer: The Federal Reserve. Grant has been a particularly tough critic of the central bank, which he says has caused a lot of damage to the economy and…
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What’s your retirement ‘number’? How to figure it out.
There’s a lot of numbers to weigh when it comes to retirement—but what’s your number? Working Americans think they need $1.1 million to retire, according to the Schroders 2023 U.S. Retirement Survey, but how does each individual really figure out what they will need in a retirement that could last decades? “It is very difficult…
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Some brokerage sweep accounts are paying more than 4% on uninvested cash—is this a good place for your savings?
This article is reprinted by permission from NerdWallet. The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments. The Federal Reserve has increased its benchmark interest rate nine times…
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You don’t have to be rich to retire well — here’s how you do it
Unquestionably, the best time to retire is after you have accumulated more money than you will ever need. But that’s not possible for everyone, and today I’ll show you how to retire with savings that aren’t necessarily as ample as you’d like. This is Part 5 in a series of articles I think of as…
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I’m sick and tired of tipping 20% every time I eat out. Is it ever OK to tip less? Or am I a cheapskate?
I’m afraid to bring this up with friends in case they call me a “Karen” or tell me I’m being selfish or a skinflint. Over the past 12 months, I have seen my rent go up by 25%. I’m paying $3,200 for a one-bedroom apartment. I will never be able to save for my own…
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Working mothers talk about ‘mom tax’ — the financial toll of motherhood on their careers and salaries
As millions of Americans put in orders for flowers, massages, and other treats for Mother’s Day, working mothers spoke to MarketWatch about the “mom tax” or “motherhood penalty” – a toll that impacts women when they become mothers and raise a child, by increasing their responsibility at home and limiting their earnings and income. Women…
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The S&P 500 is top-heavy with tech. Here’s what that says about future stock-market returns.
The 2023 rally by the S&P 500 index is being led by megacap tech-related stocks, whose weighting in the index is at a historically high level. That’s sparked a lot of worry about the durability of the bounce. The S&P 500 SPX, -0.16% is up more than 7% so far in 2023, after last year’s…
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Dow, S&P 500 book back-to-back weekly losses, as poor consumer sentiment report reignites recession fears
U.S. stocks ended lower Friday, surrendering early gains after a report from the University of Michigan showed consumer sentiment soured in May, helping to revive recession fears. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 each booked back-to-back weekly losses. For the week, the Dow slid 1.1%, the S&P 500 slipped 0.3% and the Nasdaq…