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Yes, Walmart and American Express have introduced a product that changes the game, appealing to those who are underbanked, those who are tired of paying for services in a prepaid card, and those who seek the services and protections offered by American Express.

Savings and CD rate recap, savers and the election, the move into risky assets, and more.

While lending restrictions seem to be very stringent right now, there are new regulations that are set to be in place in 2013 which could make them even stricter.

The mortgage interest deduction has been on tax forms for many years. Would it affect you at all if that deduction was no longer available?

For those looking for a credit card that offers low interest rate, no annual fees, and no balance transfer fees, where cardholders can pitch new ideas and change features on the card, the Barclaycard Ring may be a perfect option.

With the TAG program scheduled to expire at year's end, what threat, if any, does the program's termination pose to our domestic banking system and by proxy to the overall economy?

As you grow older, your mortgage needs change. But what types of mortgage products are available for buyers in different age groups and financial situations?

My weekly recap of savings and CD trends as well as news that might impact rates going forward. Happy Halloween.

There has been a great deal written about the next "asset bubble", student loan debt. Does the ever growing mountain of student loans represent a danger to the economy? Or are we over reacting given the recent credit crisis that resulted from the asset bubble the housing market represented?

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.