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.

New marketing data from MediaMind hold an important lesson for financial product and service advertisers: Make a good first impression and don't overdo it.

According to the report, up to 60% of ads from the financial sector are wasted because they're repeats consumers ultimately end up ignoring. If they don't convert after their first exposure, chances are subsequent exposures won't have any effect. "The data shows that consumers can determine within the first exposure if a financial services offer is relevant to them," explains Gal Trifon, President and CEO of MediaMind.

A smartphone can be a great convenience. In addition to making calls, you can use it for virtually all of your money management needs, like transferring money, making payments, and depositing checks. At a lot of places, you can even swipe it like a credit card.

Just don't lose it. There might be nothing more dangerous to your finances than a lost smartphone.