Personal Finance Daily: Consumers feel surprising pain at gas pump

Personal Finance Daily MARCH 02, 2012 Friday's Personal Finance Stories By MarketWatch Don't miss these top stories: Why gas prices are so high Dividend stocks top TIPS for income investing  What Romney, Obama tax plans might mean for you Tax planning? Good luck with that Gasoline prices have risen every day for the past 36 days. But you knew that, right? What you may not know is why and what the outlook is. Today in her Commodities Corner column, MarketWatch's Myra Saefong explains some of the reasons behind the price climb. Chalk a lot of it up to news related to military tensions over Iran — even though the U.S. imports no Iranian oil. Myra talks to several industry experts, who provide perspective on all the factors: Iran, money flow, refinery closures, refinery maintenance, exports, imports, poor non-OPEC production growth, and flat OPEC output. Also on MarketWatch today, Jonathan Burton writes in the Weekend Investor column about one income strategy that's capturing the attention of investors and investment advisers alike: Swapping inflation-protected Treasurys, or TIPS, for dividend stocks yielding 3% or more. And check out Andrea Coombes' video report on what the Romney and Obama tax proposals might mean for you. — Anne Stanley , Managing Editor, Personal Finance Why gas prices are so high Gasoline prices have climbed every day for the past 36 days so it's no wonder why consumers are worried that record levels are destined for the pump in the next few months. But the many reasons behind the climb aren't quite so easy to decipher — making prices even harder to predict. Read more: Why gas prices are so high. Tax planning? Good luck with that If you thought doing your tax return this year was tough, wait till you try to plan money-saving tax strategies for next year. It's next to impossible, thanks to profound uncertainty with regard to tax law. Read more: Tax planning? Good luck with that. What Romney, Obama tax plans might mean for you Many tax laws are in flux now, and tax plans proposed by candidates on the campaign trail are adding to the confusion. Stacey Delo and Andrea Coombes look at possible taxpayer strategies in light of Mitt Romney's and Barack Obama's proposals.  Watch the video: What Romney, Obama tax plans might mean for you. Few options following foreclosure Those who feel they've been wrongfully foreclosed on have a couple of options for recourse, Lew Sichelman writes. Read more: Few options following foreclosure. INVESTING Why dividend stocks top TIPS for income investing Income-seeking investors nowadays face a Hobson's Choice that forces them to hold their noses and plunge. But one income-generating option is capturing the attention of investors and investment advisers alike: Swapping inflation-protected Treasurys, or TIPS, for dividend stocks with yields exceeding 3%. Read more: Why dividend stocks top TIPS for income investing. What's the big deal about Nasdaq 3,000? What's the big deal about Nasdaq 3,000? When it does finally close above this level, it will still be more than 40% below its all-time high set in March 2000. Read more: What's the big deal about Nasdaq 3,000? Yelp, Zynga shares jump, leading tech gains Online review site Yelp surged more than 60% in its IPO debut, while Zynga continued a second day of gains following the announcement of its new online gaming platform. Read more: Yelp, Zynga shares jump, leading tech gains. Fund the Millennium Challenge Corp. The global impact of these investments comes back to us all in the form of food, jobs, more open markets for trade, and doing good and right by others. Read more: Fund the Millennium Challenge Corp. ECONOMY & POLITICS Resistance spreads to EU austerity demands There are growing signs that even top officials in Europe are resisting the focus on austerity demanded by German and French leaders. Read more: Resistance spreads to EU austerity demands. Long, hot spring on the way for gas prices Continued high gasoline prices could put the kibosh on the economic recovery, which has been picking up steam in recent months. Read more: Long, hot spring on the way for gas prices. 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. 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