Category: United States

2023 will go down in history for the start of a new bull market, albeit a strange one. Despite some year-end catch-up by the rest of the S&P 500 index, megacap technology stocks, characterized by the so-called Magnificent Seven, have dominated gains for the large-cap benchmark SPX, which is up 23.8% for the year through […]

Dear Tax Guy, I received a $ 300,000 inheritance from my mother, which is in a separate account earning interest. If I’m married and we file taxes jointly, our joint income taxes would have to pay for these interest earnings. How does the interest earned affect the “separateness” of that inherited account? Commingling Conundrum Dear […]

It’s a seasonal ritual that countless families enjoy — getting dressed in their holiday finest and heading off to see a local production of the “The Nutcracker,” that candy-coated ballet that celebrates all things Christmas. It’s also a ritual that’s critical to the bottom line of many dance companies, which depend on those solid “Nutcracker” […]

Dear Quentin, It’s happened again — I’m cursed.  Last year, I was left with a Bûche de Noël for 10 friends — and nowhere to go for Christmas Day, and this year a friend canceled Christmas lunch, leaving me holding a 50% deposit I gave to the restaurant ($ 55 for each of us). I […]

The obesity drugs that powered huge investor gains in 2023 are poised to inspire more corporate dealmaking, scientific breakthroughs and better patient access in the year ahead, analysts say.  Eli Lilly & Co. LLY, -0.28% and Novo Nordisk NVO, -0.74%, the dueling pharmaceutical giants currently dominating the obesity-drug race, will likely rack up more wins […]

Arion Herbert and his wife, Erica, started their recreational sports-league business in 2016. What started off as a way to gather friends and family outdoors quickly turned into a league with players and teams from all around Charlotte, N.C. The company, called Main Attraction Recreational Sports or “MARS,” has since grown to making close to […]

Dear Quentin, I’ve been with my wife for 15 years. We’re in our 40s, have two children and are very happy. We both have good jobs and make about $ 400,000 a year combined. My wife’s grandfather made a decent-sized fortune for himself and left his kids a thriving business and sizable trust funds.  The […]

Speculation that the 60-40 portfolio may have outlived its usefulness has been rife on Wall Street after two years of lackluster performance. But as the yield on the 10-year Treasury note BX:TMUBMUSD10Y hovers around 4%, some strategists say the case for allocating a healthy portion of one’s portfolio to bonds hasn’t been this compelling in […]

Don’t miss these top money and investing features: Sign up here to get MarketWatch’s best mutual funds and ETF stories emailed to you weekly! INVESTING NEWS & TRENDS ‘The switch was flipped’: ETF flows pick up as stocks, bonds head for 2023 gains U.S. stocks and bonds are up in 2023, in a big rebound from […]

Dear MarketWatch,  I’m looking for a place that has year-round mild, sunny weather, ideally with low humidity, and is near or on the water. It should be relatively remote — something like a warm, sunny version of Alaska. I have $ 125,000 to spend.  Esta  Dear Esta, There are definitely remote spots and small towns […]

Most people only need one option for the money the government requires those 73 or older to withdraw each year as required minimum distributions (RMDs) from qualified retirement accounts: Spend it.  Given that the average retirement balance of those aged 65 and over is $ 235,000, according to Vanguard’s How America Saves 2023 report, there’s […]

Merry Christmas! A sacred event on the Christian calendar, Christmas falls on Monday, Dec. 25. Naturally, many government offices, businesses and services will be shuttered that day. There will be closures on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, as well, though some of those are due to the fact it’s a Sunday this year.  Financial markets — […]

Wall Street had a lot of expectations heading into 2023. Looking back 12 months later, it’s clear that most of them didn’t pan out. To be sure, this is not that unusual. Wall Street strategists and economists have historically done a poor job anticipating what’s right around the corner. But as those experts continue to […]

Shares of Ansys Inc. soared 18% in trading Friday on reports the company is in discussions to be acquired by Synopsys Inc. in a deal that would create a design-software behemoth. The potential deal would kick off 2024 with a mega-merger, even as the Federal Trade Commission attempts to crack down on such transactions. Talks […]

The U.S. inflation rate, based on the Federal Reserve’s preferred personal consumption expenditure index, fell in November for the first time since 2020 and indicated that price pressures continue to subside. The PCE index dipped 0.1% last month, the government said Friday. Inflation was also unchanged in October. The increase in inflation over the past […]

Almost as predictable as the big jolly man himself, many on Wall Street are eagerly waiting for the so-called Santa Claus rally to further fuel stock-market gains that have already put investors in a holiday mood. As defined by the Stock Trader’s Almanac, the Santa Claus rally refers to the stock market’s tendency to rise […]

“‘FAKE NEW HAMPSHIRE POLL WAS RELEASED ON BIRDBRAIN. JUST ANOTHER SCAM!’” That line came in a social-media post Friday from former President Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential primary’s front-runner, as he reacted to a new poll focused on the key state of New Hampshire. Trump’s criticism of the American Research Group survey came after […]

“Everyone has a stake in AI’s safe, equitable and accountable development. ” Artificial intelligence has been quietly helping us for decades, with progress accelerating in recent years, but 2023 will be remembered as a “big bang” moment. With the advent of generative AI, the technology has broken through in popular consciousness and is shaping public […]

As 2023 draws to a close, there are many known unknowns – especially on the geopolitical front – and presumably as many unknown unknowns lurking on the horizon. Producing any forecast for the global economy is thus more difficult than usual. For their part, investment houses seem to be expecting a further slowdown in 2024, […]

As a small-business owner who employs 15 people, James Clift has a lot of problems to solve, and taxes might be at the root of all of them. Taxes determine your business structure, your cash flow and your trajectory for raising capital. If you don’t manage them efficiently, they can bankrupt you in the end.  […]