"The best time to travel is in the middle of all that, spring and fall when prices are discounted, the weather is mostly decent and seasonal places and events are still open, " she says.

WSJ: How (and When) to Snag Cheap Airfares

Finding fresh sources of new capital has become a vexing problem for many banks, mostly because previous investments from foreign sovereign wealth funds in major U.S. banks have lost value since the spring, making many players reluctant to sink more money into them.

FORBES: Private Equity Allowed A Bigger Bite Of Banks