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Happy Thursday, MarketWatchers! Don’t miss these top stories:
Personal Finance
This $15 million Christmas tree dripping in diamonds may be the most expensive in the world
The Kempinski Hotel Bahia in Spain decked its tree with jewels from Bvlgari, Cartier, and Van Cleef & Arpels.
Disney is giving us Baby Yoda toys for Christmas
You can now preorder plush and collectible toys of the breakout star of “The Mandalorian” on Disney+ from Amazon, Walmart and Disney.com
This is going to be the absolute worst day for holiday travel this year
AAA warns a record 115.6 million Americans will fly, drive or take trains for the December holidays
The real reason a Baltimore company’s $10 million holiday bonus is so special
Putting the eye-popping bonus in perspective.
This is the tax break America’s 1% will cling to — even after death
Step-up basis at death is the key to tax reform, writes Robert Pozen.
‘Revolutionary’ solar panel company frozen by SEC in emergency action
Millions of dollars are allegedly missing at Nanotech Engineering, the SEC says.
Those pesky hidden fees for cable and satellite TV could be eliminated under House-approved bill
The legislation would require television providers to disclose the total price of their services up-front.
Video of Sears shoplifters running off with armloads of clothes goes viral
Shoplifting costs retailers $50.6 billion a year.
Mortgage rates went up again this week — will they hit a ceiling?
Interest rates for mortgages have risen roughly 0.25% since early September, but how much more can they increase?
The hottest housing markets of 2020 are far from the coasts
Home buyers next year are expected to flock to smaller, more affordable cities, according to Realtor.com.
Elsewhere on MarketWatch
Pelosi’s drug-pricing bill passes House, but pharma stocks are up as it’s unlikely to become law
The Democratic-led House on Thursday passed the party’s signature bill that aims to lower drug prices, as Democrats continue to make an effort to show that they’re not solely focused on impeaching President Donald Trump.
Jobless claims soar to a more than 2-year high of 252,000 in wake of Thanksgiving
The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits in early December soared to highest level in more than two years, but the spike was likely tied to a later than usual Thanksgiving holiday instead of rising layoffs. Initial jobless claims jumped 49,000 to a seasonally adjusted 252,000.
These are Wall Street’s top dividend stock picks for 2020
Analysts expect this year’s good performance for the group to continue.
What is an ETF?
Exchange-traded funds are a great tool for investors, but there are some basics to understand about their benefits, like lower costs, and a few drawbacks.
