Personal finance from around the Web on Monday:

• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder? American Medical Association persuaded senate to add a 10 percent tanning tax in place of the 5 percent tax proposal on elective cosmetic surgery. [Washington Wire WSJ Blog]

• When you're hot, you're hot: Here's a list of the best-performing exchange-traded funds of 2009. [ETFdb]

• The real estate recovery is threatened by a "shadow inventory" of millions of foreclosed and delinquent-loan homes that aren't counted among houses up for sale. [The Los Angeles Times]

• A South Dakota bank is offering a card to high-risk consumers to help them rebuild their credit. But it comes with one little catch: a 79.9% interest rate, the highest on the market. [Argus Leader]

• More than 80% of high-net-worth investors plan to take some of their investments away from their financial advisers. That doesn't surprise one writer, who thinks the odds are stacked against those who invest in mutual funds. [The Motley Fool]

• Goldman Sachs releases its commodities outlook for 2010. The investment banking powerhouse expects oil to hit $90, and gold to climb to $1,350. [The Pragmatic Capitalist]

Additional reporting by Tania Chen.

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Personal finance from around the web:

• Is a $6,500 tax credit enough of an incentive for homeowners to buy and sell during real estate's off season? Doubtful, according to some industry experts. [Inman News]

• Getting the best deal used to mean scanning circulars and making multiple trips to retailers. These days Internet sites will do the legwork and get you organized before you head out to buy your holiday gifts. The sites will also organize your shopping.  [Cash Money Life, Moolanomy]

• Not everyone uses banks. One in four American households bypasses banks in favor of Wal-Marts and pawnshops. [TheStreet.com]

• It's never too early to learn the ABCs of personal finance. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority sends volunteers to elementary schools to teach kids that money doesn't grow on trees. [Richmond Times-Dispatch]

• It's 2010 prediction time. One analyst expects oil to crash and bonds to bomb. [Minyanville]

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Personal finance from around the Web:

• The House passed a bill that would permanently extend the estate tax, but it faces a tougher battle in the Senate. [Don't Mess With Taxes]

• Economists have mixed reactions to the jobs report, but at least one analyst sees the revisions as great news. [Economix, The Business Insider]

• Budget concerns making you feel more like Scrooge than Santa? Here are 135 tips to make your dollar go further this holiday season. [It's Your Money]

• One reason to quit throwing out all that junk fascinating mail your alma mater sends you: Your school affiliation could save you a bundle on things, including insurance and travel. [Wise Bread]

• E*Trade and Freddie Mac, we hardly knew ya. One blog lists the financial firms as among the 10 Brands that won't survive through 2010. [Wall Street 24/7]

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You'd think the subprime bust would mean no more mortgages for borrowers with little skin in the game. Well, it doesn't.

While most lenders have tightened standards for down payments — usually requiring at least 10% down and 20% for the best rates — the Federal Housing Administration has continued to offer loans to borrowers putting down as little as 3.5%. On Thursday the House Financial Services Committee is considering whether to boost the minimum down payment requirement to 5%.

I think the move is overdue, especially since FHA mortgage defaults are at a record high and the agency's reserve fund is at a record low. More

Personal finance from around the Web on Friday:

• Fixed-income king Bill Gross doesn't like earning 0.01% on his cash. But he does like utilities. [PIMCO]

• You may end up owing taxes next April because a little tax credit ended up being too big. One more reason to check your withholding. [Bucks]

• A convicted Long Island mortgage fraudster will be serving a month in jail for trying to rip off a 93-year-old retired barber.  Then she'll spend probation on the lecture circuit. [(New York) Daily News]

• A $350-a-night  luxury resort in Malaysia will give you a free night if you encounter more than one inch of rain in any 7 a.m to 7 p.m. period. Willing to hope for rain in exchange for free digs? [Savvy Sugar]

• Kellogg has warned of a waffle shortage through mid-2010. So naturally, someone on eBay is trying to sell a box of Eggos for $65. [The Washington Post]

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Five personal finance highlights from around the Web:

• FICO, the company that provides the nation's leading credit score, reveals how many points a consumer's credit rating will drop as a result of specific events. LIz Pulliam Weston sheds light on the impact of maxing out a card or making a late payment. [MSN Money]

• Will the McMansion buyers of the future want to live without theater roooms and butler's pantries? Luxury home builders think so. [The Wall Street Journal]

• '"I want to be rich" is not real a goal. And good financial planning requires clear, measurable goals. [The Boston Globe]

• Buffett: Investment opportunity is greater in the United States than abroad. The Oracle thinks the worst of the financial panic is behind us. [Reuters]

• Temporary conforming loan limits won't expire this year. The Federal Housing Finance Authority will extend the limit of $417,000 (up to $729,750 in high-cost areas) through 2010. [Washington Business Journal]

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The Fed announced Thursday new rules that prohibit banks from automatically enrolling customers in overdraft protection programs that charge fees when customers spend on a debit card or withdraw from an ATM more money they have in their checking account. The move comes in response to consumer outrage at the fees, which can amount to more than $30 for an overdraft of a few bucks. The new rules, which cover only ATM and debit card (and not checking) overdraft protection plans, don't go into effect until July 2010, but here are five ways you can protect yourself now:

1. Keep a buffer in your checking account. Keep an extra cash cushion in your account at all times so you won't overdraw your account for an emergency expense or if you incorrectly calculate your balance.

2. Sign up for automatic low balance alerts. If you request it, most banks will alert you via either e-mail or text message, that your balance has fallen below a certain level. Once you get that alert hold off on additional purchases or withdrawals until you've got more money in your account.

3. Link to your checking account to a savings account. Once you've established a link, your bank will withdraw funds from the savings account to cover the overdraft. This service customarily costs $5 to $10 per transaction, so while it's not free, it certainly beats a $35 overdraft fee.

4. Consider cash. Check your balance before hitting up the ATM, and only withdrawal what's available. Yes, it may seem obvious, but it's still a surefire method of avoiding overdraft fees.

5. Opt out. While the new regulations will require consumers to opt in, most banks will let you opt out now. You just have to call and ask. But remember, once you've opted out of overdraft protection, your card will be rejected if you try to spend more than you have.

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Five interesting stories from around the web:

• The U.S. unemployment rate cracked double digits this morning. Clusterstock takes a look at the cities where it is hardest to find a job. [The New York Times, Clusterstock]
• Report: Hundreds of credit cards are still using "unfair or deceptive practices." Cards are upping interest rates, penalties and fees ahead of regulatory changes coming in February.  [MarketWatch]
• Why do so many people fail at making a budget? It's because, according to Wise Bread, they omit a crucial task: Tracking what they spend. Here's a step-by-step guide to getting started. [Wise Bread]
• The National Association of Realtors' seasonally-adjusted pending home sales index rose for the eighth consecutive month in September, but Move.com says it didn't see its usual spike in listings last spring. The site says visitors are browsing, but not buying. [Hot Property]
• Princeton professor Daniel Kahneman discusses attitudes toward gains and losses, and why overconfidence hurts individual investors. [Nightly Business Report]

Adjustable-rate mortgages have gotten a pretty bad rap since the housing market tanked a few years ago. After all, the over-availability of ARMs undeniably contributed to the housing bubble and following foreclosure wave. So readers of my recent piece in MONEY’s November issue, “Is it Time to Dump Your ARM?,” might have been surprised to see a recommendation that some homeowners refinancing out of one ARM should refinance into another one.

That’s because despite their flaws, hybrid ARMs, which start out with a fixed-rate period and then adjust on a recurring basis when that period is up, still represent a smart choice for educated borrowers who understand their risks. More