I’m about to get $130,000 from a lump sum pension payout, what do I do with it?

I am about to receive a lump-sum payout from a pension plan I was in. It’s around $130,000. Need some advice on the best way to invest this money. I am turning 60 in April and don’t have a 401(k) or I...

Powell Says the Fed Isn’t a ‘Climate Policy Maker.’ What That Really Means.

Text size Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the Fed is not “and will not be, a ‘climate policy maker.’” Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images About the authors: David Arkush is director of Public Citiz...

The surprising message of the junk bond spread

The U.S. economy is in relatively good shape—perhaps even stronger than average. That’s the surprising message of an indicator with an enviable record of anticipating recessions: The interest-rate spr...

The Fed Says It Won’t Cut Rates in 2023. Markets Disagree. Who’s Right?

Text size The Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images About the author: Christopher Smart is chief global strategist and head of the Barings Inv...

This simple, no-sweat portfolio makes money in all markets

Well now. This is interesting. Very interesting. And—potentially — very profitable. Especially if you want your savings to go to work and make you money in all environments—booms and slumps, crashes a...

Here’s why Citigroup’s stock stands out among the biggest U.S. banks

The “big six” U.S. banks have all reported their fourth-quarter results, wrapping up a difficult 2022, when soaring interest rates forced a decline in several areas of business. Citigroup Inc. C, -1.7...

10 simple investments that can turn your portfolio into an income dynamo

Many people are good at saving up money for retirement. They manage expenses and build up their nest eggs steadily. But when it comes time to begin drawing income from an investment portfolio, they mi...

These money and investing tips give you tools for the stock market’s ‘January Defect’

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 These top athletes are investi...

Inflation has fallen. Is it time to buy inflation protected bonds?

Good news, especially for retirees: Inflation has fallen. The official rate has just tumbled to 6.5% — down from 9.1% last June. And while 6.5% is still a hefty hike in prices, that’s just the annual ...

The ‘best job in America’ pays over $120,000 a year — and offers a low-stress, healthy work-life balance

We’ve had the great resignation, quiet quitting, resistance to going back to the office — and now? It turns out people are looking for happiness, stability, flexibility and a good salary. In 2023, in ...

‘Our kids say our small house is embarrassing’: My husband and I earn $160K, have $1 million in retirement savings, cook at home and drive an old Honda. Are we missing out? 

I’m a pretty fortunate person who lives a pretty fortunate life, and our annual household income at $160,000 is high compared to the rest of the world. However, we are still pretty frugal — we cook at...

Opinion: Why a prominent Tesla investor wants Elon Musk to put him on the board

Ross Gerber is well-known in certain circles as a longtime Tesla Inc. investor, thanks to being a bullish voice on Twitter about the electric-vehicle company. As Tesla TSLA, +5.93% stock has plummeted...

These 15 Dividend Aristocrat stocks have been the best income builders

The S&P Dividend Aristocrats deserve more coverage. Those are companies that have raised their dividend payouts consistently over the years — they’re dividend royalty, as it were. As a group, they...

These money and investing tips can keep you afloat if stocks circle the drain

Sign up here to get MarketWatch’s best mutual funds and ETF stories emailed to you weekly! INVESTING NEWS & TRENDS How the Dow’s start to the new year affects the stock market’s 2023 return Many r...

Impatient Investors Need to Remember the Lessons of the Dot-Com Bubble

Text size Pedestrians pass in front of the New York Stock Exchange in New York. Growth and value tend to take turns leading the market, but the cycles often last years, not days, writes Michael Kops. ...

6 value stock picks for 2023 from successful money managers

Following a down year for the stock market, there is no shortage of recession predictions for 2023, especially as the Federal Reserve has signaled it will continue to raise interest rates to fight inf...

Opinion: Roth IRA conversions: Take advantage of this limited-time offer to save on taxes

No one likes taxes, but everyone loves a sale. So the idea of a major blowout on Roth conversions in 2023 — a limited time offer, no less — might make it enticing to pay taxes now to avoid them in the...

This ‘crazy’ retirement portfolio has just beaten Wall Street for 50 years

You could call it crazy. You could call it genius. Or maybe you could call it a little of both. We’re talking about a simple portfolio that absolutely anyone could follow in their own 401(k) or IRA or...

‘I can no longer be an executive at a high level’: Workers with disabilities, including long COVID, are finding their place as companies become more flexible

Dana Pollard started a new job at the end of 2022, after spending three years recovering from a 2019 stroke. Pollard, 56, lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with his wife. After the stroke, he could not reco...

‘A friend advised me to find a husband’: I’m nearly 50 and close to retiring. Would it be a mistake to marry and commingle my finances?

I’m a single female in my late 40s with no children. At 50 years old, my federal agency will allow me to retire with a full pension. I’m planning to, as I have a significant amount saved in my thrift ...

Opinion: Three value-stock investors favor these six picks for a rocky 2023

Analysts expect value stocks to maintain outperformance over growth stocks as interest rates rise and the economy falters. To find some of the best value names to consider, I recently checked in with ...

‘Am I crazy?’ I’ve paid my fiancée rent for 9 years and spent $10,000 improving her home. She’s also listed on my health insurance. What would you do?

I have a situation that is causing a lot of issues in my relationship. We have been dating for 17 years, have lived together for close to nine years and have been engaged for six.  When I moved into h...

Opinion: Here are the chip companies that should benefit the most from the government’s massive incentives

The pandemic created enormous challenges for semiconductor companies. Unprecedented demand drove up prices and backlogs for chips and equipment as supply chains faltered. At the same time, concerns gr...

Investors who did this one thing survived the markets in 2022

Forget inflation. Forget oil prices. Forget Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Forget layoffs in the tech sector. Forget the yield curve. When I sat down to write about what worked for investors in...

Opinion: It’s time to buy I-bonds again. Here are 3 ways to maximize your $10,000 inflation-fighting investment.

The once-obscure Treasury investment soared in popularity last year because of its enticing inflation-adjusted rate, which peaked at 9.62%. That leapfrogged bank deposit accounts and completely trounc...

Opinion: Crypto insurance is nearly nonexistent, so you’ll have to rely on common sense

If only your bitcoin could catch on fire — literally — then it might have a chance of being covered by insurance. For property, fire is a straightforward hazard. But it’s probably the one big thing th...

Will 2023 finally be a good year to buy a home? Read this before making a decision.

The housing market is nothing if not unpredictable. Mortgage rates have skyrocketed, and the market has taken a beating. But don’t expect 2023 to turn into a buyer’s market just yet, housing experts s...

These 20 stocks were the biggest losers of 2022

Updated with Dec. 30 closing prices. This was a year of reckoning for Big Tech stocks — even those of companies that continued to grow sales by double digits. Below is a list of the 20 stocks in the S...

Opinion: 11 predictions for money, technology, stocks and crypto for 2023

Here are some 2023 predictions for financial markets, the economy and stocks. I’ve spent the last year and a half being cautious in the wake of the Bubble-Blowing Bull Market that finally ended early ...