Personal Finance Daily: How to give a healthy gift for the holidays

Personal Finance Daily DECEMBER 20, 2011 How to give a healthy gift for the holidays By MarketWatch Don't miss these top stories: Healthy holiday gifts: fun to give and receive 11 tips to empty your flex-spending account Health books that get your blood pumping Is it possible to give someone a holiday gift that's actually healthy for them without it seeming preachy? The trick, as Kristen Gerencher points out today in her Vital Signs column, is to be sure the gift is a great one, something the recipient will really enjoy receiving and using. She has a list of items that are in demand or that can do double-duty, such as athletic clothes that work as stylish casual wear and gym bags that function as efficient carry-ons. Also today, Kristen has a rundown of some of the best health-related books to be published this year, ranging from surprising and revelatory to touching and useful. Finally, do you have a little money left over in your health-care flexible spending account? Anya Martin has great ideas for emptying the account before you lose the leftover funds. — Anne Stanley , Managing Editor, Personal Finance HEALTH CARE Health books that get your blood pumping If you know someone who likes a little controversy in their page-turners, don't forget to check out your favorite bookseller's health section for last-minute gift ideas. Read more: Health books that get your blood pumping. Healthy holiday gifts: fun to give and receive Giving a gift that promotes a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to come across as preachy. Here are some suggestions for healthy holiday gifts they'll love to receive. Read more: Healthy holiday gifts: fun to give and receive. 11 tips to empty your flex-spending account Before you panic about still having money in your health-care flexible-spending account late in December, heed these 11 tips for using up those funds quickly. Read more: 11 tips to empty your flex-spending account. INVESTING Market bulls challenge the breakdown point Market bulls haven't completely thrown in the towel despite a shaky technical backdrop. In fact, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index and the Nasdaq Composite have both rallied to significant resistance, Mike Ashbaugh writes in this free edition of The Technical Indicator. Read more: Market bulls challenge the breakdown point. Barclay's best tech stocks for 2012 On the Trading Deck, Meena Krishnamsetty takes a close look at Barclays equity outlook for 2012, specifically the tech sector, which Barclays rates as overweight. The top stocks on the list include Apple, Citrix and more. Read more: Barclay's best tech stocks for 2012. ECONOMY & POLITICS Housing starts highest since April 2010 New construction of U.S. houses jumps 9.3% in November to the highest annual rate since April 2010, with multi-family activity leading the stronger-than-forecast growth, according to Commerce Department data. Read more: Housing starts highest since April 2010. House votes down payroll-tax extension bill House lawmakers rejected Tuesday a Senate-passed extension of the payroll-tax cut, forcing a fresh clash with the Senate and leaving the fate of the break up in the air shortly before it is set to expire. Read more: House prepares to vote down payroll tax bill. Get the latest news on our mobile site: http://www.marketwatch.com/m MarketWatch has sent you this newsletter because you signed up to receive it. To ensure you receive this newsletter in the future, please add marketwatchmail.com to your list of approved senders. Sent to: kumaresan.selva.blogger@gmail.com Unsubscribe | Subscribe Copyright 2011 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved. MarketWatch, the MarketWatch logo, and BigCharts are registered trademarks of MarketWatch, Inc. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (updated 6/26/07). MarketWatch - Attn: Customer Service, 201 California St., San Francisco, CA 94111