Personal Finance Daily: Why outlet malls are cheaper

Personal Finance Daily JANUARY 06, 2012 Why outlet malls are cheaper By MarketWatch Don't miss these top stories: 10 money-making investment ideas for 2012 How to find the best deals at outlet malls Co-signing a mortgage for a grandchild U.S. gains 200,000 jobs in December Jobs report, jobless claims tell similar tale Do you love those deals you find at outlet malls? There's a reason why those clothes cost less — and you may not like it. Seems that retailers are taking a few shortcuts with the products they make for those stores. For more details, plus tips on how to navigate outlet malls to find the best deals, read Jennifer Waters's Consumer Confidential column today. Plus don't miss Jonathan Burton's Weekend Investor for a look at 10 top money-making investment ideas for the year ahead. Speaking of investing, are you ready to test your stock-picking skills against the pros and MarketWatch's own experts? Sign up now to play in MarketWatch's quarterly earnings-focused stock competition, in which you can use virtual money to win real prizes — including an iPad — over the coming four weeks. Go here to pick, trade, and win! — Andrea Coombes , Personal Finance editor How to find the best deals at outlet malls Should you make the trek to the outlet mall? It's not just last year's fashions anymore. Here's how to find the best deals. Read more: How to find the best deals at outlet malls. Co-signing a mortgage for a grandchild Lew Sichelman explains a grandfather's options for helping his granddaughter and her husband obtain a mortgage. Read more: Co-signing a mortgage for a grandchild. Gasoline prices start the year with a bang Gasoline prices at the pump start the year off with a bang — at the highest level ever recorded for the start of a new year, and analysts expect a particularly volatile 2012. Read more: Gasoline prices start the year with a bang. The truth about Kim Kardashian's taxes Californian pressure group makes Kim Kardashian the poster girl for higher taxes. The only problem? They got their facts wrong. But apparently nobody cares. Read more: The truth about Kim Kardashian's taxes. INVESTING 10 money-making investment ideas for 2012 As you review your investments, think about how this year might be different from 2011 and ways it could bring more of the same. Tune out the noise, turn on the head lamps, and consider these 10 ways to position your portfolio in 2012. Read more: 10 money-making investment ideas for 2012. Fund investors uncork a new year Already, a chorus of Wall Street pundits and prognosticators is making ominous "Year of Living Dangerously" rattles about 2012. Noise, noise and more noise. Sure, this year will be challenging for investors — what year isn't? Read more: Fund investors uncork a new year. Silly politics begs for market discipline American politics is so filled with nonsense, it is high time we apply some basic market discipline. Americans should be allowed to invest in Romney or Obama futures. Read more: Silly politics begs for market discipline. ECONOMY & POLITICS Jobs report, jobless claims tell similar tale The week's economic data show improving rates of job creation as well as declining filings of first-time claims for unemployment insurance. But not all the employment data is so rosy. Take a look at the charts. Read more: Jobs report, jobless claims tell similar tale. 1.36 million full-time workers say economy better While we have a long way to go before everyone who wants a job has one, it's getting harder to deny that the U.S. labor market is improving. Read more: 1.36 million full-time workers say economy better. U.S. gains 200,000 jobs in December The U.S. added 200,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate fell for the fourth month in a row, to 8.5%, in a fresh sign the economy is picking up and businesses are more willing to hire, government data showed. Read more: U.S. gains 200,000 jobs in December. Jobs data shows healing economy: White House Economists, Wall Street analysts and lawmakers react to Friday's nonfarm payrolls report, which showed that the U.S. added 200,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate fell to 8.5%. Read more: Jobs data shows healing economy. Key Fed official keeps up housing push The Federal Reserve keeps up its push for increased steps to lift the struggling housing market, as a key Fed president calls for more mortgage refinancing as well as principal reductions for hard-hit borrowers. Read more: Key Fed official keeps up housing push. 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