U.S. stock indexes jump ahead of Fed

MARKETWATCH FRONT PAGE

U.S. stocks rise after the government reports retail sales jumped in February. The Dow reclaims 13,000 and the Nasdaq Composite tops 3,000. See full story.

Stocks might sag, but soon will soar

Stocks could break, but probably not for long, write Peter Brimelow and Ed Rubenstein. See full story.

U.S. retail sales climb 1.1% in February

Retail sales for February rise at the fastest in five months, as government data show gasoline prices failed to choke off demand for cars, clothing and other goods. See full story.

To ease or not to ease?

That is the question when it comes to figuring out what the next step for the Federal Reserve�s monetary policy is likely to be. See full story.

No hint of exit from Fed this week

The Federal Reserve will have a quiet meeting Tuesday, intent on making sure that they don�t make any noise about exiting from their easing policy stance, economists say on the eve of the meeting. See full story.

MARKETWATCH COMMENTARY

Instead of acknowledging that banks have become a part of government, we keep pretending they are private institutions, writes David Weidner. See full story.

MARKETWATCH PERSONAL FINANCE

Higher fees are sneaking into the overall cost of most mortgages. But given ultralow interest rates these days, it�s likely few borrowers will notice. See full story.