MarketWatch rounds up 10 of its most interesting topics over the past week.
1. You might regret taking Social Security early
Whether you decide to receive payments early or later, the Social Security Administration expects to pay you roughly the same amount of money, based on life expectancy data. But people who take Social Security payments early are far more likely to wind up impoverished.
2. What have we learned from Equifax’s failure to protect consumer data?
It has been a year since well over 100 million people were affected by a data breach at Equifax
EFX, +0.57%
Here are lessons learned, advice to keep your data safe and industry developments.
More on Equifax and protecting your personal financial data:
• Everything you need to know about credit freezes, and when they’ll be free
• A year after Equifax, cybersecurity is still seeking its Holy Grail
• The Equifax data breach, in one chart
As the bull market gets longer in the tooth, dividend stocks can cut your risk
Here’s a list beaten-down stocks of companies paying high dividends that are well supported by cash flow. Meanwhile, Tim McIntosh predicts long-term interest rates will pull back from here, providing support to prices of real estate trusts and other stocks with high dividend yields.
4. This is how President Trump has been good for the environment
Meredith Jones — MarketWatch’s new columnist covering ESG investing (which considers companies’ environmental and social policies and the quality of corporate governance) — explains how investors have reacted to President Trump’s policies.
5. Stock alternatives to Nike
Shares of many companies that make expensive leisure equipment or athletic apparel are cyclical, which means that accelerating economic growth and low unemployment may be a “buy” signal. Highflying Nike
NKE, +0.62%
dominates headlines in the leisure space, but here are seven stocks that might be excellent alternatives.
Nike coverage:
• Nike takes on Trump by naming Colin Kaepernick the face of 30th anniversary of ‘Just Do It’
• Nike’s Kaepernick ad to provide a long-term gain after some near-term pain, analyst says
• Super Bowl champ says those raging against Nike will regret it
6. Worried about midterm elections?
Control over the House of Representatives is in play, making this midterm election seasons exciting for political junkies. The S&P 500 index
SPX, +0.11%
has returned 40% since Donald Trump was elected president in November 2016 with Republican majorities in the House and the Senate. If you are concerned as an investor about Trump’s potential loss of support, read this.
7. Momentum stocks keep driving the market…
The trend for big-name technology stocks to lead the market continues, with the exception of Facebook
FB, +0.89%
Here’s a look at the stock market’s best strategy of recent years and its risks.
8.…Or is it a tech bubble bursting?
A decline in technology stocks has led to the worst decline since March for the Nasdaq Composite Index
COMP, +0.46%
More on a possibly overheated tech stocks:
• The current tech bubble is a Chinese import
• Mark Hulbert: ‘Tech wreck’ isn’t what will end this bull market
• A stock-market bear signal is at a more-than-4-decade high, says Goldman
9. Careful with smokin’ stocks
Marijuana stocks have the potential to be an explosive area for investors who get in early on a trend of increasing legalization. Cannabis industry stocks are rallying, but investors need to be careful and avoid scams.
10. Virtual reality and internet freedom
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Source : MTV
