RJ and Makay

In an odd trend that has persisted for several years now, consumers have been keeping up with their credit card payments even when they're behind on their mortgage, says credit reporting firm TransUnion.

Among consumers with a mortgage and at least one credit card in the fourth quarter of 2010, 7% were 30 or more days late on the mortgage but current on their credit card, TransUnion reports. That rate was about 4% in the first quarter of 2008, when the trend first appeared nationally.

Economy watchers waiting for revised fourth-quarter GDP figures got a bit of a shock today. Instead of the upward revision from 3.2% to 3.3% they expected, the government adjusted its fourth-quarter estimate down to 2.8% on deep spending cuts by state and local governments.

However, the revised figure is still better than the third quarter's 2.6% growth rate. Furthermore, excluding inventories, the economy expanded at a 6.7% annual pace, the most since 1998.