Happy holidays MarketWatchers. Don’t miss these top stories:
The pandemic has thrown this treasured piece of financial wisdom out the window
Let’s talk about emergency funds.
Blake Griffin scored a deal on a $5.8 million mansion in Brentwood
The NBA All-Star Blake Griffin has scored a mansion in L.A.’s Brentwood neighborhood for $5,876,000. Ron Smith and David Berg of Smith & Berg Partners at Compass represented Griffin in the transaction. Jordana Leigh with Rodeo Realty represented the seller.
As stimulus bill stalls, eviction protection and other financial relief set to expire Dec. 31
Many programs keeping struggling Americans afloat, including unemployment benefits for gig workers, are due to end soon.
Financial advisers play the Grinch when clients’ spending gets out of hand
Delayed gratification brings greater rewards
What John Mulaney reportedly going to rehab tells us about how Americans are struggling during the pandemic
Surveys and retail data suggest more people are using alcohol to cope in 2020.
Grammy winner Stephen Marley scores a tropical Florida estate for $3.4 million
Eight-time Grammy winner Stephen Marley — son of the reggae legend Bob Marley — has another hit on his hands. He just purchased a lush 5.6-acre estate near Miami for $3.4 million.
Biden on using executive action to cancel $50,000 in student debt: ‘I think that’s pretty questionable’
The President-elect waded into a debate over cancelling student debt that’s been raging for months.
The U.S. real estate markets that are poised for a post-pandemic boom in 2021
The pandemic has upended the country’s housing markets, and some cities and regions are better positioned to bounce back than others.
My father moved his girlfriend, her cousin and two kids into his 2-bedroom condo. I struggle to pay rent. What about me?
‘Living in the condo will help ease a tremendous financial burden, as I am sometimes unable to muster two pennies to rub together.’
I didn’t receive a $1,200 stimulus check during the first surge of COVID-19. Will I get a $600 check this time around?
‘With a second round of stimulus checks of $600 announced by Congress on Sunday, will the Internal Revenue Service give me a check based on my 2019 return?’
Elsewhere on MarketWatch
U.K. and European Union agree on historic post-Brexit trade deal
Four years and six months on from the referendum that defined an era of British politics, the U.K. and European Union have agreed on a historic new trade deal to define their relationship after Brexit.
House Republicans block bill for $2,000 stimulus checks, defying Trump as government shutdown looms
Republicans in the House blocked a bill put forward by Democrats on Thursday that would have sent $2,000 checks to individuals as part of a coronavirus financial aid package, up from the $600 agreed to in the measure approved by Congress earlier this week that President Donald Trump criticized as too meager.
Here’s exactly where Biden will find common ground with moderate Republicans
While we have been fighting among ourselves about the face of the future, China and others have been embracing it.
Why it would be crazy to impose binding commitments to fight climate change
A global climate treaty binding countries to emission ceilings or minimum carbon prices is well beyond reach and practicality.
Trump pardons corrupt lawmakers, but the real scandal is that the capital is still a swamp
There has always been something particularly egregious about pardons for representatives of the people who have abused the public trust.
‘Deepfake’ Queen Elizabeth II will deliver alternative Christmas message warning about fake news
The digitally-created monarch will also reveal what she thinks of Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
‘Holy smokes, I’m a $TSLA-naire!’ Here’s how quickly Tesla’s wild ride has turned modest investments into seven-figure windfalls
Tesla shares have exploded for a gain of nearly 700% this year, having gotten a recent boost from joining the S&P 500. But a blockbuster 2020 is merely another chapter in the stock’s volatile journey to eye-popping returns.
