U.S. stocks rally; jobs data brightens view

MARKETWATCH FRONT PAGE

U.S. stocks on Friday start a new month with strong gains that lift the Dow industrials above 14,000 for the first time in five years after the January nonfarm payrolls report bolsters Wall Street�s view of the economy. See full story.

SEC panel seeks stock exchange only for the rich

A panel that advises the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday voted to recommend that a new exclusive exchange be created for micro and small capitalization public companies, one that would only be available for high net-worth investors. See full story.

No-money-down mortgages are back

Some affluent buyers are getting the keys to their new home without putting a penny down. It�s 100% financing�the same strategy that pushed many homeowners into foreclosure during the housing bust. Banks say these loans are safer: They�re almost exclusively being offered to clients with sizable assets, and they often require two forms of collateral�the house and a portion of the client�s investment portfolio in lieu of a traditional cash down payment. See full story.

Construction spending ends 2012 on high note

Construction spending jumped in December to wrap up a seven-year high as the housing market continued its recovery, the government reported Friday. See full story.

Home improvement gets a makeover

Even as remodeling rebounds, consumers are looking for ways to save. Today, the average for bigger projects runs about $100,000 to $150,000 � and many people are spending far less. Four trends that are reshaping remodeling. See full story.

MARKETWATCH PERSONAL FINANCE

Of all the silliness and hype that surrounds the Super Bowl, few things could be more ridiculous than trying to use various �indicators� and �predictors� to tie two completely unrelated things together. It makes for fun conversation, but horrible investing. And while few people truly value the Super Bowl as an investment indicator, the truth is that plenty of people invest based on data and patterns and theories that are every bit as flimsy and dangerous, but less patently ridiculous. See full story.