Financial 411: Looking Toward 2011

Blizzard Cleanup Continues in New York City


New York City continues to dig itself out from this Sunday's blizzard. Airports are open but finding flights for passengers on canceled planes continues slowly. That has left thousands of people stranded for yet another day.  

The blizzard also kept people away from the malls. ShopperTrak reports nearly $1 billion in sales were lost in the two days after Christmas. But retail analysts expect those lost sales to be regained as the weather improves and roads are cleared.

Markets

Stocks rose as investors prepare for the end of the year. The Dow Jones gained 10 points, closing at 11,585. The S&P 500 was up a point to close at 1,260. The NASDAQ ended at 2,667, up four points. 

A Look Back at 2010, and Foward to 2011

At the end of 2010, the economy is growing and stock markets are seeing healthy gains.  The Dow Jones is on pace to end up around 11 percent from the start of year. But unemployment is stuck in around 9.5 percent, and the real estate market is still a mess.

WNYC's Business Editor Charlie Herman spoke with Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist for Charles Schwab, to review the year that was, and to see what we can expect in 2011.