English: Henry Winkler at a ceremony for Adam Sandler to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

CENTER CITY, Kansas (FNS) A new list of the Most Annoying People of 2013 saw some major changes in the list and a first with three individuals tied for first place. Fred Thompson, Henry Winkler and Robert Wagner were tagged numbers one presumably for their appearances in those ubiquitous reverse mortgage ads that play in almost every break on cable news and late night programs. Apparently the trio of B-listers have squandered what meager credibility they had by hawking the questionable loan schemes to elderly pigeons eager to cheat their heirs out of any equity value that may be in their homes. The three aging hucksters edged out such perennial annoyers as Kim Kardashian and Donald Trump. The complete list:

1. (tie) Fred Thompson, Robert Wagner, Henry Winkler

2. Kim Kardashian

3. Rush Limbaugh

4. Donald Trump

5. The Sham-wow Guy

6. Anyone on QVC

7. Willard Scott

8. Sarah Palin

9. Rex Ryan

10. Al Sharpton

Other than the three numbers one, the only newcomer to the list was blowhard New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, who promises his team’s fans a Super Bowl appearance year after year. Left off this year’s list was perennial annoyer Adam Sandler and the can’t-get-out-of-her-own-way queen Lindsey Lohan.

Back to reverse mortgages: the loans themselves, often formally referred to as Home Equity Conversion Loans, are rated just below chain letters, for their honesty content. A recent survey by the watchdog group Citizens Resolutely Against Perfidy (CRAP) found that 72% of those surveyed thought reverse mortgages were a scam. Overall, reverse mortgages were viewed slightly less favorably than pyramid schemes. CRAP spokesperson Heidi Hoe declared, “These people (reverse mortgage sellers) thought they could slide by with this stuff. They didn’t think we were watching. But they don’t know CRAP. We’re everywhere.”