By MarketWatch MARKETWATCH FRONT PAGE U.S stock futures dropped sharply Friday, as a 533,000 payrolls drop was far worse than even pessimistic economists had feared. See full story. High inventory is killing home builders; industry asks for help Helping Main Street as well as Wall Street has been an objective of President-elect Barack Obama throughout both the campaign and into the transition period. Some argue that home-buying incentives built into a new economic stimulus package -- if done right -- could help not only the housing industry and the overall economy, but also would-be home buyers who are facing a crisis in confidence as well as credit. See full story. Mortgages: Mortgage rates plummet after Fed action; 30-year near 5.5% Mortgage rates for fixed-rate loans plummeted this week, after the Federal Reserve's actions to increase liquidity in the mortgage market, Freddie Mac's chief economist says. See full story. Outside the Box: The liquidity trap This year one of the best performing asset classes is cash, writes Jim Anderson. See full story. HSBC to buy back London headquarters for $1.2 billion HSBC said Friday it will buy back its London headquarters from Spanish property group Metrovacesa for around 250 million pounds ($367 million) less than the price it received for the building around 18 months ago. See full story. MARKETWATCH COMMENTARY David Weidner's Writing on the Wall: Obama is palling around with the wrong kind again President-elect Barack Obama, like every candidate seeking to oust a ruling party, has campaigned on a platform of change. And now runs the risk of failing to deliver the goods. Just take a look at his roster of advisers, says David Weidner. See full story. MARKETWATCH PERSONAL FINANCE Ways to maximize your charitable giving in tough economic times When economic times get tough, finding dollars to donate can get tougher, but there are ways to make your charitable dollar stretch farther.

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