U.S. stock rise pushes S&P 500 past 1,400

MARKETWATCH FRONT PAGE

U.S. stocks rise Thursday, lifting the S&P 500 index past 1,400 for the first time since June 2008, after another round of strong reports on jobless claims and manufacturing See full story.

Scottish separatists bank on black gold

Expanding the league of blue-eyed Arabs See full story.

Scottish fund managers ponder U.K. breakup

Scotland�s financial-services industry has for several hundred years taken its cue from London, but that could change if a proposed 2014 vote in the Celtic nation backs a break from the U.K.�s 300-year-old union. See full story.

Scotland debates leaving 300-year-old union

Scotland�s ruling Scottish National Party party is pushing for a referendum on independence from Britain in 2014. See full story.

Scots want to stay in U.K. for economy, identity

Scotland�s Alex Salmond is pushing hard for his country to leave the union with Britain but poll data show many in Scotland are against independence. 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.