Hi there, MarketWatchers. Don’t miss these top stories:
Personal Finance
There’s hope for people who missed a valuable tax break on unemployment benefits
Though jobless benefits count as taxable income, one part of the sprawling law says the first $10,200 of those benefits are exempt from federal income taxes for households making under $150,000.
My mother is recovering from alcoholism. My ‘narcissistic’ sisters took over her life and drained her bank account. What can I do?
‘In her late 60s, her years of alcohol abuse finally caught up with her when she developed Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.’
‘They lease cars they can’t afford’: Our best friends share our pandemic pod, but they’re reckless spenders. Should we speak up?
‘We’ve been honest sounding boards during money fights, and we’ve offered to take savings/debt classes, but old habits die hard.’
‘My husband told me that my $1,400 stimulus check will be spent on aluminum siding on our home.’ How can I reclaim what’s mine?
‘As soon as I heard the stimulus bill passed, I got a sick sense of dread in my stomach.’
My wife and I have 3 kids. I also have 3 kids from a previous marriage. How should we split our house among these 6 children?
The Moneyist responds: ‘Like splitting a bill in a restaurant, there comes a time when you must balance your forensic accounting with what is palatable for those at the table.’
New CDC school guidelines could mean more kids in classrooms — and more financial stability for parents
‘The stresses of remote instruction are clearly depressing labor force participation,’ one expert said
‘This hellfire of a year’: COVID-19 long haulers face financial and medical uncertainty as pandemic rages on
About 30% of COVID-19 survivors followed for up to nine months reported ‘persistent symptoms,’ a recent study found.
My parents want to use $300,000 in retirement savings to pay off $160,000 left on their home. Is that a good idea?
‘I would like to be able to help them financially and be their safety net, but my means are limited.’
‘We did not place blame or offer advice’: Are we flaunting our wealth if we give our friends and family money?
‘We have some family and friends who are struggling to make ends meet, particularly as a result of the pandemic. Having means, we chose to help them financially and sent sizable checks.’
I’m 60 and lost my job due to COVID-19. My husband makes $150K. We saved $1.3 million. Do I resign myself to early retirement?
‘We have a good relationship, but I’m afraid of being dependent on someone, even if it’s my husband.’
Elsewhere on MarketWatch
Trump’s voting margin is one of the strongest predictors of this economic indicator
The redder the state, the more its residents are allowed — and willing — to move around.
Investors poured record $56.8 billion into stock-market funds as stimulus checks arrived
Stock-market investors poured a record amount of money into equity mutual funds and exchange-traded funds in the past week as the Dow Jones Industrial Average topped the 33,000 milestone and the S&P 500 also touched a record.
Here’s the secret of how great companies get to the top of their game
Quality managers boost a company’s performance, employee morale and stock price.
This is the key question that will determine whether stimulus money overheats the economy
The question still reverberating in financial markets is to what degree the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief will be spent, either immediately or if coronavirus recedes enough for shoppers to be allowed, and wanting, to go out.
Ethereum bulls may reemerge after March $1.15B ETH options expiry
Up to $1.15 billion worth of Ether options are set to expire on March 26, and data suggests bullish traders may make a show of force after the expiry.