In case you missed them, here are the top 10 Personal Finance stories from MarketWatch for the week of Oct. 27-31:

Don't get mad, get even: That sentiment could be a powerful motivator for shellacked shareholders who are reeling from the stock market's collapse. Spooked investors may be tempted to sell into periodic rallies at this point, in an effort to at least recoup some losses. But that hopeful strategy is full of flaws. Selling into a rally is for traders, not investors. It shreds long-term plans and puts you on a hair-trigger defense.

See Jonathan Burton's Life Savings.

Hedging-style mutual funds come up short

Mutual funds that use short-selling and other hedging tactics are billed as attractive ways for retail investors to access the sophisticated market-beating approaches available to institutional and wealthy investors. Now, with the market seeing its greatest turmoil in decades, how well have these specialized funds fared? The results are mixed.

See Weekend Investor.

Christmas sneaks ahead of Halloween in the checkout line

That's a pretty good costume your retailer has on. You can't tell it from Father Christmas. Merry Halloween. Trick-or-treaters don't head out until Friday, but consumers are finding themselves pushing carts amid a barrage of Christmas decorations -- think pumpkins under the tree -- and having to choose between buying Halloween paraphernalia and getting a jump on purchasing gifts for Dec. 25.

See full story.

King Henry's bank edict will trigger 'greatest ever depression'

"Considering how hard I work to make what I have, I don't understand why I'm so dumb with money" said Andy Rooney on "60 Minutes." His admission came after a segment about the mysterious $55 trillion of credit default swaps that are traded in a shadow banking system.

See Paul B. Farrell.

At gold parties, consumers exchange old jewelry for cash, but sellers beware

On a quiet, tree-lined street in this upscale Chicago suburb, a gaggle of women noshed and drank wine as they waited their turn to have their once-fashionable gold rope chains and unmatched earrings scrutinized under a magnification loupe, poked at by a gold tester and even put through an acid test. Say good-bye to Tupperware and hello to gold.

See full story.

Commentary: Mutual funds that hoard cash can trash goals

One phrase that keeps coming up in the current market environment is that "cash is king." But when it comes to mutual funds that own stocks, too much cash -- the point where more than 40% of the portfolio is in cash instead of the stocks the fund is supposed to hold -- makes a Stupid Investment of the Week.

See Chuck Jaffe's Stupid Investment of the Week.

The election, the American dream and housing policy

The subprime mortgage mess, which in large part precipitated the broader financial meltdown the world is wallowing in today, was itself rooted in U.S. housing policy that promoted homeownership for all who reached for it. The question for the next president is whether this pursuit of the American dream should be scaled back.

See Resident Authority.

IRA investors don't have to wait for the next president for some tax relief

With many retirement accounts in the tank this year, presidential candidates and other lawmakers have called for all sorts of measures aimed at helping people pick up the pieces of their broken nest eggs. Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama have proposed waiving the requirement that Americans age 70-1/2 and older must take a minimum distribution from their traditional IRAs.

See Robert Powell.

When dollars get damaged, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing can help

There's no magic cure for money lost in the stock market, but if a natural disaster damages the cash you buried in the backyard or stashed under your mattress, there's help at hand.

See full story.

Feds could revive housing market with discount mortgages

On the outskirts of the San Francisco Bay Area, the depth of the housing-market collapse is evident in foreclosed homes that sold for $500,000 two years ago and yet aren't attracting buyers at a third of the cost.

See Shades of Green.

See the week's Top 10 news and analysis stories.