Personal Finance Daily: This year, pleas to Santa aren't only from kids

Personal Finance Daily DECEMBER 16, 2011 This year, pleas to Santa aren't only from kids By MarketWatch Don't miss these top stories: Mortgage complaint? This agency wants to hear it  Homeowner reoccupies foreclosed home Credit unions trounce big banks in consumer survey Tough times prompt more parents to write to Santa These life-cycle funds are off-target First, here's the sad news: More parents are writing letters to Santa, asking for help for their kids. The good news? You can channel your inner Santa and send those children gifts, thanks to a U.S. Postal Service program called Operation Santa Claus. Read Anya Martin's story today for more on how the number of letters to Santa has jumped during the economic downturn — and what you can do to help. Also, check out our video on how a San Francisco woman has reoccupied her foreclosed home, and how that tactic worked for a homeowner in Los Angeles — the lender eventually agreed to modify her loan. Got a complaint about your mortgage lender? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wants to hear from you. Read Lew Sichelman's Realty Q&A for more, and for more details on the HARP 2.0 program. — Andrea Coombes , Personal Finance editor REAL ESTATE Mortgage complaint? This agency wants to hear it The new federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is now open for business — and ready to receive complaints and inquiries related to home loans, Lew Sichelman writes. Mortgage complaint? This agency wants to hear it. Homeowner reoccupies foreclosed home In November, Carolyn Gage moved back into the foreclosed home from which she was evicted in early 2011 -- the home her father built, and where she grew up. But is that a viable strategy for struggling homeowners? It worked for one Los Angeles woman.  Homeowner reoccupies foreclosed home. Fewer people are homeless, according to recent data A new count on homelessness found that 2.1% fewer people were homeless this January than the year before, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced this week. Fewer people are homeless, according to new data. PERSONAL FINANCE Credit unions trounce big banks in consumer survey A new survey finds customer satisfaction with credit unions is sharply higher, while big banks suffer. Credit unions trounce big banks in consumer survey. Tough times prompt more parents to write to Santa The U.S. Post Office receives millions of letter to Santa each year, and as part of its Operation Santa Claus, postal workers sort out the requests from needy children so that good Samaritans can send gifts. This year, more parents are writing in to ask for help for their children. Tough times prompt more parents to write to Santa. ECONOMY & POLITICS Charting the news on jobs and retail sales Dig deeper into this week's economic news with these charts. Charting the news on jobs and retail sales. Consumer prices unchanged in November The prices paid by Americans for a broad range of goods and services come in unchanged in November from October, mainly because of declining energy costs, government data show. Consumer prices unchanged in November. INVESTING These life-cycle funds are off-target Investors can get into trouble when they judge long-term investments on short-run results. But they also get into trouble if they ignore the short-term and it leads to problems down the road. These life-cycle funds are off-target. The top stock-market strategy of the past 50 years Investment analysts James and Patrick O'Shaughnessy find that a combination of value and momentum strategies — a tactic they call "Trending Value" — has been the best performing stock-market strategy since 1963. The top stock-market strategy of the past 50 years. Steer your stocks clear of election-year gridlock To stay on top of 2012's election-year gridlock, analysts recommend that investors focus on defensive stock sectors next year including consumer staples and utilities. Steer your stocks clear of election-year gridlock. Zynga gets mild initial public reception After opening with an 11% lift, online social-gaming company's shares settle back near their $10-a-share debut level. Zynga gets mild initial public reception. Iraq needs investment, the sustainable kind There may be no better place to showcase the power of investing for good than in Iraq. Iraq needs investment, the sustainable kind. INTERNATIONAL NEWS France seen slipping into recession in 2012 France's economy will likely slip into recession in 2012, as falling confidence and political uncertainty plague the euro-zone nation, according to its statistics institute. France seen slipping into recession in 2012. The 2012 elections that matter in Europe As we head into a year packed with elections, the situation in Europe is likely to remain tense. The 2012 elections that matter in Europe. Swiss tradition slows new entrepreneurs Switzerland's focus on quality environment and political stability is making it difficult for a thriving entrepreneurial culture to develop, though many prefer it that way. Swiss tradition slows new entrepreneurs. 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. 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