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Sure, a reverse mortgage can fund your Caribbean cruises, and is generally tax-free and will not affect your social security or Medicare benefits, but reverse mortgages are not for everyone. Originally created to help seniors stay in their homes by converting equity in their homes to a sort of disposable income, reverse mortgages can end up being nightmares for seniors who cannot keep up with the terms and conditions associated with these types of loans.

BestCashCow.com, an online resource for comprehensive bank rate information, today released the results of its user survey on trends in banking and savings decisions. The survey, conducted between September 28 - October 16, 2012, polled 653 users nationwide on topics ranging from how they choose a bank to whether their savings decisions will be impacted by the upcoming presidential election.

While a decrease in the number of foreclosures in some states makes the housing figures look promising, there are some states where the number of foreclosures is about to spike.

QE III has been announced and is in the process of being implemented. The stated goal is for the Federal Reserve to purchase mortgage backed securities in an effort to both lower interest rates and increase liquidity in the housing market. Will home buyers and homeowners actually be the beneficiaries of such a program? That remains to be seen.

Two things come to mind when the name Mark Zuckerberg comes up. First, we have Facebook. Second, Zuckerberg is rich. In fact, he is a billionaire. So guess what the mortgage on his Palo Alto home in California is like. After refinancing, the rate Zuckerberg got was 1.05%. Yes, 1.05%. Surely that’s not a rate someone without substantial wealth can get.

As our national debt goes ever higher and reaches truly staggering amounts, a great deal of rhetoric regarding the threat it poses both economically and geopolitically has been issued. In truth, many such threats have been misrepresented or exaggerated, as the greatest threat is not a hostile foreign entity such as China, but our long term domestic policies regarding health care.

BestCashCow, an online resource for comprehensive bank rate information, today released its list of the top five fastest growing banks in California. Banks were ranked based on organic growth of assets and return on equity for the year ending June 30, 2012.*

"Spend $500 in the first three months and get $100 back." Remember, the last time you signed up for a credit card like that? Or being tempted to do so, only to think, I can always cancel the card later. Well, think again before signing up for cards just for promotional rewards and then canceling them. Truth is, canceling your credit card can be damaging to your credit score.

Recently, Moody's, one of our domestic credit rating agency giants, issued a credit watch on U.S. debt, warning that unless negotiations on the impending Fiscal Cliff achieve a resolution of the impasse, they would downgrade the rating on U.S. Treasuries. While clearly an ominous sounding statement, there remains the question: Does a credit downgrade of U.S. debt even matter?

After months of grinding delays, Europe appears to finally be trending in the right direction, as several notable events in recent weeks have lent optimism to a situation that many have long despaired would ever see a resolution.

There are many mortgage-related scams out there to watch out for. Do you know how to avoid becoming a victim?

For those looking for a credit card that offers great travel rewards, the Citi ThankYou Premier card might be a decent option.

While the jury is still out as to whether or not the ING Direct and Capital One, N.A. merger will ultimately benefit or hurt its customers, current customers need to be aware about upcoming changes in FDIC coverage.

Mortgage fees in five states are expected to increase and be passed down to new mortgage borrowers. Is your state one of them?

The number of foreclosures have continued to decrease year over year. Should this be taken as another sign of improvement in the housing market? The recent shift by many banks towards short sales and other strategies designed to avoid the foreclosure process make analyzing the data difficult.