higher. markets reopen today after closing christmas. stocks on pace for their worst december since the great depression. the dow is now down 15.6% this month. the s&p 500 down a little bit more than that. the nasdaq down 16.7%. everything negative on the year. and the s&p 500 is now near a bear market. it's the thought that counts, of course, but what if you really don't want another reindeer sweater with jingle bells? according to the national retail federation, 17% of consumers will go to return or exchange unwanted gifts. 17%. some retailers have a no-questions-asked policy. others have strict rules that make returning purchases frustrating or impossible. what can you do to make those returns easier? don't open the box, especially for electronics. don't remove the packaging on a gift you don't want. you risk a restocking fee if packaging isn't exactly intact and if products are missing any tags. you may be stuck with them. keep the gift receipts. don't throw them out with the wrapping paper. some retailers won't let you return a gift without a receipt.