Personal Finance Daily: Get every job benefit you can

Personal Finance Daily MARCH 21, 2012 Wednesday's Personal Finance Stories By MarketWatch Don't miss these top stories: How to squeeze more money perks out of your job Home sales dip, but best February in five years Wal-Mart lets online shoppers pay with cash Employers are beginning to offer more tools and benefits to help their workers save money for retirement, save money on health-care costs and build their wealth. Jennifer Openshaw writes today about some of the offerings found in most workplaces, as well as some new ones. Also on MarketWatch today, data show sales of existing homes fell 0.9% in February from January's upwardly revised figure, but improving job prospects, cheaper homes and warm weather are making it the best start to the year since the housing crisis began. — Anne Stanley , Managing Editor, Personal Finance How to squeeze more money perks out of your job Employers are offering more workplace tools for employees to protect their health and their wealth — and workers should take advantage of them. Read more: How to squeeze more money perks out of your job. Wal-Mart lets online shoppers pay cash Next month, WalMart.com reportedly will start "Pay With Cash," which lets customers reserve items online for in-store pickup. Although the target audience may be the estimated 20% of Wal-Mart customers without a bank account or credit card, but experts say the service could also benefit consumers trying to stick to budget or wary that keying in their credit card numbers online exposes them to fraud. Read more: Wal-Mart lets online shoppers pay with cash. A taxi trip around the globe Three friends came up with a crazy idea in the back of a taxi — to break the record for the longest cab ride. After a year in a cab, they've handily surpassed the previous record.  Video: A taxi trip around the globe. United not so friendly for calling customers Have you tried calling United Airlines recently? Travel expert Joe Brancatelli says the merger of United and Continental is still creating major headaches for customers, especially those who need help over the phone. Radio: United not so friendly for calling customers. INVESTING What if profit margins don't keep rising? While you'd think that skyrocketing profit margins would be good news for equity investors, they aren't necessarily. Read more: What if profit margins don't keep rising? ECONOMY & POLITICS Home sales dip but best February in five years Sales of existing homes fell 0.9% in February after an upward revision to the prior month, as improving job prospects, cheaper homes and warm weather led to the best start to the year since the bursting of the housing bubble. Read more: Home sales dip but best February in five years. Romney builds on lead with Illinois win Mitt Romney wins the Illinois Republican primary, racking up a win in a big Midwestern state and adding momentum to his campaign to clinch the presidential nomination. Read more: Romney builds on lead with Illinois win. The failed 'dream ticket' plan While every presidential run has similar discussion of a "dream ticket" scenario, it is relatively rare that a presidential contender chooses the runner-up as a vice presidential selection. And for good reason: It would probably hurt more than help. Read more: The failed 'dream ticket' plan. 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