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Savings and CD rates continued to drop over the summer even as the stock market went on one of its longest winning streaks in history, shooting above 9,000 and getting giddy analysts to call for it to rise above the 10,000 mark before long.

The FDIC reported today that the situation is still grim in the nation's banking sector. The number of problem banks rose from 305 to 416 and the FDIC's deposit insurance fund fell to $10 billion from over $40 billion last year. Is your money safe?

Yields on long-term municipal bonds are significantly higher than short term munis and are at a historical high over Treasuries. Is now the time to go long?

Citibank is offering a competitive 2.25% APY on an 18-month CD. The CD needs to be opened online.

One West Bank, formerly Indymac, is offering a 10-month CD that pays 2.15% APY.

Over the last couple of weeks, US Treasury rates have fallen dramatically, blowing apart my investment thesis about the wisdom of shorting Treasuries.

For the first time in five years, existing home sales rose four months in a row, according to the National Association of Realtors. This is a positive sign for the real estate market and is a positive indicator that buyers are purchasing the excess inventory resulting from foreclosures and short sales. This increase in sales may eventually help ease sliding property values as well.(Source www.realtor.org)

I haven't seen this before. I suppose that it is a sign of the times.

President Obama today declared he was going to re-appoint Ben Bernanke chairman of the Fed. It's a good move, notwithstanding the usual critics who not only want Bernanke gone, but the whole Fed abolished.

I bought a car this weekend using the cash for clunkers program. I got $4,500 off a new car. That's not bad. It will take an awful lot of cash in a 2.5% APY savings account to equal that amount. There was a lot of aggravation though.

DollarSavingsDirect is offering a 16-month CD paying 2.25% APY. To open the CD and get the rate, you must first open a DollarSavingsDirect Savings or Checking account.

Will the safest bonds in the world be defaulted on? Take a look.

Pick-a-payments, Liar Loans, Debt consolidations, are they really that good a deal. Maybe you should take a closer look. Happy Reading