Personal Finance Daily: Trends for 2012: Jobs, interest rates and more

Personal Finance Daily JANUARY 12, 2012 Trends for 2012: Jobs, interest rates and more By MarketWatch Don't miss these top stories: Investment trends to watch in 2012 Foreclosure activity lowest since 2007 The biggest threat to your credit score Mortgage rates hit new record lows Robert Powell writes in his Your Portfolio column about investment professionals who have a realistic view about their ability to predict the future of the financial markets and the economy. They can't. However, it's an important part of their job to find the trends and get a sense of what investors should do about them. Read about some of the important investment trends for 2012, including where interest rates are headed, the murky outlook for employment and how dollar strength and emerging-market weakness will impact commodities. They say you may not be able to predict the future, but you can still be prepared for it. Also in the day's Personal Finance coverage on MarketWatch, Amy Hoak reports on foreclosure data and mortgage interest rates. — Anne Stanley , managing editor, Personal Finance Investment trends to watch in 2012 From the elections to housing and employment, investment professionals predict some of the investment trends — such as dividend-paying stocks — they think will brighten 2012. Read more: Investment trends to watch in 2012. Foreclosure activity lowest since 2007 Foreclosure activity hit a 49-month low in December, with foreclosure filings at their lowest monthly level since November 2007, according to RealtyTrac's monthly report. Read more: Foreclosure activity lowest since 2007. Mortgage rates hit record lows: Freddie Mac Mortgage rates drop to record lows this week, with the 30-year fixed-rate mortgages falling to 3.89% — the sixth week it's been below the 4% mark, according to Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Read more: Mortgage rates hit record lows. The biggest threat to your credit score People with poor credit scores are more impatient and more likely to choose immediate rewards than wait for a larger reward, a recent study shows. As a result, they are much more likely to engage in behaviors that virtually guarantee financial trouble, writes Chuck Jaffe. Read more: The biggest threat to your credit score. INVESTING Low-volatility ETFs can carry a high price After a volatile year in the global stock markets, exchange-traded fund providers are gearing up to offer new indexes and index-based ETFs that aim to muffle volatility. But this peace of mind comes at a price, writes John Prestbo. Read more: Low volatility ETFs can carry a high price. Another headache for Sears The turnaround at Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD) has hit a bit of a speed bump, writes Angela Moore. Read more: Another headache for Sears. Re-energized Intel roars back at CES The chip giant (INTC) finally inked two big deals to get its chips into smartphones after a long uphill battle, and Ultrabooks with its chips are the stars of the tech show. Read more: Re-energized Intel roars back at CES. Dividends defy fickle market A dividend-focused letter doesn't worry about capital gains — but gets them anyway, writes Peter Brimelow. Read more: Dividends defy fickle market. ECONOMY AND POLITICS ECB pauses; Draghi sees funding progress The European Central Bank leaves key lending rate unchanged, as expected, while chief Mario Draghi sees early signs that a massive injection of long-term liquidity is helping ease funding pressures. Read more ECB pauses; Draghi sees funding progress. U.S. unemployment claims rise sharply to 399,000 New applications for unemployment benefits jumped last week to the highest level since late November, most likely because of end-of-the-year layoffs following the holiday season. Read more: U.S. unemployment claims rise sharply. U.S. retail sales rise scant 0.1% in December Data show a sales increase for U.S. retailers in December of just 0.1%, bucking expectations for stronger growth in receipts during the all-important holidays. Read more: U.S. retail sales rise scant 0.1% in December. Chinese inflation cools slightly in December Chinese consumer prices ease slightly in December, although food inflation remains at elevated levels, providing what some analysts say is the necessary latitude needed by authorities to loosen monetary conditions. Read more: Chinese inflation cools slightly in December. 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 2012 MarketWatch, Inc. 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