World News: The Daily Money: What's open and closed on President's Day?

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Monday, February 21

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Welcome to another Monday – and a holiday for some of you Daily Money readers. It's Jayme Deerwester, here to share one of my all-time favorite dog-ownership hacks with you. Just woke up and need to run the dog outside but not quite ready to put pants on just yet? The answer: a fleece-lined swim parka.

There's a reason swimmers hang onto their parkas long after they hang up their Speedos, myself included. They're like athletic slankets with a zipper and pockets, designed to keep swimmers warm between races at meets. And because they're water-resistant, you can wear them for rainy morning dog walks. But they're also perfect for shoveling snow and sitting in the bleachers at frigid football games and other events that force you out into the tundra for long periods of time.

🗞 News you should know 🗞

U.S. financial and bond markets will close Monday for Presidents Day. No trading will take place on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq until those exchanges reopen on Tuesday. Most banks , including Federal Reserve Banks, will also shut their doors on Monday, and the U.S. Postal Service will not deliver mail.

Retail stores will not be, so if you need a new mattress or TV, our friends at Reviewed.com can show you where the deals are.

Sales have become so ubiquitous that they have some wondering: Has Presidents Day, intended to honor iconic leaders like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, lost all meaning?

"It's become more of a shopping day and a break in the calendar. Are we supposed to be honoring all the presidents that day? If so, how are we doing that?" said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian and professor at Rice University in Houston. "If it was Presidents Day in all the schools in the country and (teachers and students) were really looking at the executive branch, there might be something useful, but as it is now, it's more about a worker holiday than it is a day of intellectual reflection."

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ALARMAGEDDON: Home security, medical device makers worry 3G is being shut down too soon.

SUCCESS STORY: California set quotas for women on corporate boards. The law worked.

TECH TRAVEL HACKS: Rig a DIY standing desk or make your hotel TV feel like home.

💡Daily insight 💡

It used to be that dreaded sticker shock came from the prices of new cars. Now used car prices are just as bad.

How bad? The average used car sold for $29,594 in January, up from $22,676 last year, a 30% increase, Edmunds.com reports.

The average transaction price of a nine-year-old car rose 43% in a year. On individual models, price inflation can be starker.

Even the price of a modest three-year-old Nissan Versa subcompact car has risen 66% to an average of $16,366, Edmunds says. The starting price of a new Versa is $15,080.

Looking at the inflated price of the average used car, "it seems like a new-car price," said Jessica Caldwell, Edmund's director of insights. It's not just the newer used cars. "What we see is the older used cars are increasing just as much," she said.

💵 Tax hacks 💵

There are tax benefits to being self-employed. But one potential drawback is the process of filing taxes can be trickier and more cumbersome than if you're a salaried employee. But if you start the process early enough – especially if you want to use a tax professional, (book that appointment now), have a clear understanding of your 2021 income and understand what can and can't be written off, things will go much more smoothly.

🎶 Mood music 🎶

The used car price story inspired today's lyrical selection. I give you the four lines of Adam Sandler's "Ode to My Car" that are suitable for publication in USA TODAY: "What did I do to get stuck with you? You're too wide for drive-through and you smell like the shoe. But I'm too broke to buy something new."

LISTEN WHILE YOU WORK: Sadly, I couldn't add this song to the Daily Money Mood Music playlist on Spotify because the platform doesn't have a clean version. But there are nearly 50 other songs on there to keep your ears occupied.