Personal Finance Daily: We shouldn't have to wait for 'Downton Abbey'

	Personal Finance Daily OCTOBER 12, 2012 Friday's Personal Finance Stories By MarketWatch Don't miss these top stories: Why we shouldn't have to wait for 'Downton Abbey' Are 4G phones worth 20% more? 10 most outrageous excuses for missing work Biden, Ryan blast each other in fiery debate In England, four episodes of the final season of "Downton Abbey" have already aired. But in the United States, we'll have to wait until January to see the episodes — PBS has exclusive rights to air the popular television show in the states, and the British company that broadcasts the program uses technology to block U.S.-based computers from watching it online. In his most recent column, Brett Arends calls shenanigans, arguing that PBS needs to get its act together — especially at a time when people want to cut public funding for public television. Also in today's Personal Finance pages, read why fourth-generation wireless phones cost consumers 20% more, learn the 10 most outrageous excuses for missing work and read our coverage of the U.S. vice-presidential debate Thursday night. — Amy Hoak , assistant editor Why we shouldn't have to wait for 'Downton Abbey' Caution, Downton Abbey fans: The Earl of Grantham has told me I ought to warn my American readers that this column refers to events in the show's third season — which won't air in the U.S. until January. Why we shouldn't have to wait for 'Downton Abbey.' Are 4G phones worth 20% more? Consumers may have little choice than pay more for the new, faster wireless networks, experts say. Are 4G phones worth 20% more? 10 most outrageous excuses for missing work Silly sick-day explanations range from having forgotten about a new job to bird bites to canine psychological issues, employers tell CareerBuilder. 10 most outrageous excuses for missing work. ECONOMY AND POLITICS Consumer sentiment jumps to five-year high Consumer sentiment has jumped higher for a second month, pushing past analysts' expectations to stand at the highest level since September 2007, according to data released Friday. Consumer sentiment jumps to five-year high. Candidates address American Dream in pieces Allusions to the American Dream appeared in Thursday evening's political debate, but both parties' platforms only address pieces of declining economic mobility and increasing income inequality. Candidates address American Dream in pieces. Biden, Ryan blast each other in fiery debate An aggressive Joe Biden comes out swinging against Rep. Paul Ryan in the 2012 campaign's only vice-presidential debate, as the two trade blows on Medicare, the recent attack in Libya and taxes. Biden, Ryan blast each other in fiery debate. Obama should give us a reason to vote for him Mitt Romney is promising not to be anything like Barack Obama, and the president is promising not to be Mitt Romney. But there's still time for Obama to offer voters a positive reason to re-elect him, writes Rex Nutting. Obama should give us a reason to vote for him. EU's Peace Prize and the mockery of timing Norway's Nobel jury means well, but the shocking decision to award its Peace Prize to the European Union in the midst of a disastrous debt crisis is more likely to provoke bitter laughter. EU's Peace Prize and the mockery of timing. U.S. wholesale prices rise 1.1% in September Wholesale prices rose 1.1% in September led by a strong gain in energy costs, Labor Department data show. U.S. wholesale prices rise 1.1% in September. INVESTING Natural gas vehicles are overlooked energy play With prices at the pump soaring, natural gas is looking more appealing as a cheaper and cleaner alternative to gasoline and diesel. And several stocks are showing up on Wall Street's radar as a way to ride the trend, writes Steve Gelsi. Natural gas vehicles are overlooked energy play. Is the stock market crazy? Spanish debt got downgraded to near junk status, but the U.S. stock market rallies strongly at the open of trading the following day. Crazy as this reaction might otherwise seem, Mark Hulbert says we shouldn't be too quick to dismiss it as irrational. Is the stock market crazy? Gold's primed for a breakout, but where to? Gold prices have been sitting just a stone's throw away from a record level and may finally be ready to break free from the tight trading range they've been stuck in for months. Gold's primed for a breakout, but where to? A fairer look at taxes and wealth Stephen Moore's new book examines a broad range of perspectives on income tax policy, writes Diana Furchtgott-Roth. A fairer look at taxes and wealth. Dividend stocks are investing's holy grail Investors love yield and hate risk, writes Howard Gold. Dividend stocks are investing's holy grail . Netflix: the stock Wall Street loves to hate Netflix's shareholders must think that they just can't win because Wall Street won't let the streaming and video-rental company build any momentum, writes media columnist Jon Friedman. Netflix: the stock Wall Street loves to hate. 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). 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