Personal Finance Daily: With IRAs, timing is everything

	Personal Finance Daily MAY 17, 2012 Thursday's Personal Finance Stories By MarketWatch Don't miss these top stories: 5 IRA timing rules that can derail your retirement Another record low for fixed-rate mortgages Foreclosure activity drops in April Why ETFs can't 'like' Facebook IPO. Robert Powell writes that when it comes to individual retirement accounts, timing is everything. IRA account owners need to be aware of all sorts of different dates, ages and "clocks." Also on MarketWatch, Freddie Mac reports that the national average for mortgage interest rates last week hit a new low. The 30-year fixed is just 3.79%. In a related story, RealtyTrac says foreclosure filings continue to drop. — Anne Stanley , managing editor, Personal Finance 5 IRA timing rules that can derail your retirement When it comes to IRAs, timing is everything. Robert Powell looks at five rules that could derail your retirement-savings plans. Read more: 5 IRA timing rules that could Another record low for fixed-rate mortgages Fixed-rate mortgage rates hit yet another set of record lows this week, with the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaging 3.79% in Freddie Mac's weekly survey of conforming mortgage rates. Read more: Another record low for fixed-rate mortgages. Foreclosure activity drops in April The number of foreclosure filings in April fell to the lowest monthly total since July 2007, according to RealtyTrac's most recent report. Read more: Foreclosure activity drops in April. ECONOMY AND POLITICS Philly Fed factory index turns negative Business conditions at manufacturing firms in the Philadelphia region worsened in May, as orders for new products fell and executives scaled back hiring plans, a survey shows. Read more: Philly Fed factory index turns negative. Leading economic indicators dip in April The economy is "still struggling to gain momentum," though long-term trends remain expansionary, the Conference Board says as it reports that its index of leading economic indicators dipped in April for the first decline since September. Read more: Leading economic indicators dip in April. Initial jobless claims unchanged at 370,000 Filings come in flat last week. Read more: Initial jobless claims unchanged. Japan GDP jumps 4.1%, beating estimates Japan's economy grows 1% in the first three months of the year from the preceding quarter, driven by investment linked to rebuilding of its disaster-struck regions and a strong recovery in exports. Read more: Japan GDP jumps 4.1%, beating estimates. China, U.S. relationship positioned to prosper The Sino-U.S. relationship has its share of irritants, but there are signs that the two countries are taking steps to understand each other's perspectives, Caixin Online writes in an editorial. Read more: China, U.S. relationship positioned INVESTING Why ETFs can't 'like' Facebook IPO If you're not getting a chance to buy Facebook Inc. (FB) shares before Friday's IPO, you're not alone. Some specialized exchange-traded funds will be on the sidelines along with most everyone else—at least for a while. Read more: Why ETFs can't 'like' Facebook IPO. Don't bank on this financial sector ETF ETFs covering the financial sector are not created equal, writes Chuck Jaffe. Pop the hood on the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Financial Services Index (IYG) and you can see the problem, he says. Read more: Don't bank on this financial sector ETF. Is oil spoiled? Energy bulls are reluctant to give demand, writes Peter Brimelow. Read more: Is oil spoiled? The 4 hard lessons of 2008 that Dimon must accept Will Jamie Dimon's lesson in humility lead him to embrace the four broader lessons of 2008? Will this change not just J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM), but all the too-big-to-fail banks that control more than 90% of America's banking assets? Will Wall Street finally learn these four essential lessons? Read more: The 4 hard lessons of 2008 that Dimon must accept. Betting on Facebook's future When the Facebook IPO party starts on Friday, investors are going to find that its hefty valuation will be based on a lot of hope, writes Therese Poletti. Read more: Betting on Facebook's future. 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