I’m 62 and single with a ‘mountain of debt,’ and a desire to start a business. Am I in a position to take a financial risk?
Dear MarketWatch, I am 62, single, in good health with no retirement in a job I do not like. My job stresses me out, and my boss may let me go at the beginning of the year. I am working on a business where the start-up cost has already been paid. I am so tired […]
I want to retire at 55 in a country with free health care. My spouse will draw Social Security, and I have $160,000. Are we crazy?
I am 51 and would like to retire by 55. I will only have about $125,000 in retirement accounts plus another $35,000 in non-retirement accounts. I plan on moving out of the U.S. as I have a house that’s fully paid for overseas. After living there a year, I will get residency in the country, […]
I bought a house with my fiancée, but she says I need to pay all the bills. Will she get half of the house if I sell?
Dear Big Move, My fiancée and I agreed to buy a house that was more than what we expected to pay, but we both liked it. We agreed that I would make the mortgage payments, and she would pay the taxes every year. When we bought the house, we decided to pay the taxes separately […]
Manchester United football club announces deal to sell up to 25% of club to Jim Ratcliffe
British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has agreed to buy a 25% stake worth about £1.25 billion ($1.3 billion) in Manchester United soccer club, the BBC reported Sunday. As part of the deal, Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group will take control of the club’s football operations. Ratcliffe, 71, will also provide $300m (£236m) for future investment into Old… […]
I inherited a $300,000 bank account. When I pay taxes on the interest, would my spouse be entitled to a share of the account if we split?
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 Commingling, Your letter never […]
I want to ask my family and friends to contribute $50 toward Christmas dinner. Is that bad etiquette?
I’m a longtime reader of your column and I never thought I’d be writing to you, but I guess here we are. I’ve had a hell of a year. I lost my job and found another one, split from my long-term partner and lost half of my social life, moved to a smaller house in […]
The Magnificent 7 dominated 2023. Will the rest of the stock market soar in 2024?
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 […]
‘I’m cursed’: My friend canceled Christmas lunch — now we’re on the hook for a 50% restaurant deposit. He expects us to split it. Is that fair?
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 booked […]
Why the 60-40 portfolio is poised to make a comeback in 2024
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 […]
Pharma had a year full of firsts
Soumyabrata Roy | Nurphoto | Getty Images Drugmakers are closing out a year when they achieved several historic firsts that will shape the pharmaceutical industry in 2024 and beyond. The weight loss drug market transformed into the pharmaceutical industry’s newest gold rush this year, as demand for costly but highly effective treatments from Novo Nordisk […]
