Builder confidence rose for the first time in October in five months, according to a report released Monday that nonetheless showed conditions at a weak level.

In this difficult labor market, many recent college graduates may be forced to take jobs outside their preferred field, and settle for lower salaries than they might have hoped for. But even at a less-than-perfect job, grads can position themselves for later success.

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Britain's average national house asking price rose 3.1% to 236,849 pounds ($380,308) in October, property website Rightmove reported Monday. Compared to October 2009, the average price is up 2.9%. The asking price saw a monthly 1.1% fall in September for a 2.6% year-on-year gain. The October monthly rise comes amid "poor" market fundamentals as the amount of property available continues to rise, which is likely to lead to disappointment for many prospective sellers, Rightmove said. The firm said a variety of factors accounted for the rise, noting that "bullish pricing" is a normal characteristic of of the autumn selling season, with the average asking price rising every October for the past decade.

A new U.S. Labor Department rule is designed to give the nation’s 72 million retirement-plan participants more information about the costs and expenses associated with their retirement plan. But there are a few reasons why the new rule may not have the desired effect.

In case you missed them, here are the top 10 Personal Finance stories from MarketWatch for the week of Oct. 11 to 15:

In case you missed them, here are the top 10 videos that appeared on MarketWatch for the week of Oct. 11-15.

Drop a little turbo in this thing, which I understand might happen, and the Kia Sportage EX would give my favorite baby ute, the VW Tiguan, a run for its money.

Older Americans won’t get a cost-of-living adjustment in their Social Security benefits next year — and that means wealthy Americans won’t face higher FICA taxes. Read this story and more in Friday’s Personal Finance Daily.