Personal Finance Daily: How 2012's top money ideas have fared so far

	Personal Finance Daily JULY 16, 2012 Monday's Personal Finance Stories By MarketWatch Don't miss these top stories: How 2012's top money ideas have fared so far Do you need car-breakdown insurance? 10 fund favorites in technology From dividend strategies and small-cap stocks to gold and the presidential cycle, MarketWatch's Jonathan Burton looks at how 10 key investment themes have done so far this year, along with ideas on how to play the rest of 2012. Also on MarketWatch, Jeanette Pavini looks at mechanical-breakdown insurance and under what conditions you might need such coverage. — Anne Stanley , managing editor, Personal Finance Do you need car-breakdown insurance? Is mechanical-breakdown insurance — which pays you in the event your car breaks down — one of those policies you need, or should you skip it? Read more: Do you need car breakdown insurance? INVESTING How 2012's top money ideas have fared so far As the year began, investors were encouraged to stick with 2011's winners — chiefly defensive, dividend-paying U.S. stocks that offered safety and income. What goes around has come around again. Many of the economic and political concerns that plagued global markets in 2011 are even more acute. Read more: How 2012's top money ideas have fared so far. Radical gold bugs vindicated? Gold rebounds — and the radical bugs are on a roll. Read more: Radical gold bugs vindicated? 10 fund favorites in technology The technology sector is home to many of the most attention-grabbing stocks in the market. Here are the 10 most popular stocks in the tech sector among hedge funds. Read more: 10 fund favorites in technology. ECONOMY AND POLITICS Global recovery weak and facing dangers, IMF says The global economy is weak and is facing significant downside risks, according to the IMF. Read more: Global recovery weak and facing dangers, IMF says. U.S. retail sales fall for third straight month U.S. retail sales fall in June for the third straight month as consumers cut spending on most goods and services, signaling much softer economic growth in the second quarter. Retail sales slumped a seasonally adjusted 0.5% in June following a 0.2% decline in May and a 0.5% drop in April. Read more: U.S. retail sales fall for third straight month. Manufacturing rebounds a bit in New York The Empire State manufacturing index rebounds a bit to 7.4 in July, the New York Federal Reserve Bank says on Monday. Read more: Manufacturing rebounds a bit in New York. A Grimm tale from the euro zone As in history, dreams and disaster sit closely together, writes David Marsh. Read more: A Grimm tale from the euro zone Credit-reporting firms to face more scrutiny The nation's consumer financial regulator approved new oversight rules for the companies that compile consumer-credit reports and scores — the firms people love to hate because they control so much of our financial lives. Read more: Credit reporting firms to face more scrutiny. 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