The editors at INN are simply aggregators—purveyors of information.
Along the way, we heed an unspoken call to help you make sense of the noise in the insurance and technology marketplace, or lately, the chaos.
Unlike a controlled burn in which plant life is reduced to ash in order to generate new growth, the chaos-now being called by seekingalpha.com the "financial nuclear winter," has raged out of control for weeks. The crisis on Wall Street has spilled over to global markets and, as the blame games pepper the nightly news, one thing seems certain: We are far from resolution.
As international heads of state, various finance ministers and bankers work furiously to find quick-fix solutions to the global credit crisis and kick-start a new bull market, top executives at American International Group Inc.(AIG) are trying to blame each other for a chain of events that resulted in the feds taking an 80% stake in the company. At this writing, a congressional panel is illuminating folly on a silver platter, asking AIG execs to explain excessive bonuses, and a junket made by execs in late September that included $23K in spa treatments.
Seekingalpha's regular columnist, Bill Cara, offers a solution that resonates good old-fashioned U.S. capitalism. Proposing 36 stock options (read: opportunities), he assures us that we are nearing a bottoming out in preparation for the "beginning of the Bull." There are plenty of other clusters of capitalists out there, many of whom have approached INN editors in the hopes of leveraging "opportunities" born of the chaos.
So who wants in?
The Predictors: From the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, popular author Jeremy Siegel, the Russell E. Palmer Professor of Finance, offers his perspective on the "why" behind the crisis. His books are available on amazon.com.
The Lawyers: Also known as the "clean up crew," these consultants focus on issues ranging from tax reform to financial market reform to a re-examination of federal policies to changes in certain accounting rules.
The Fixers: This is a group of solution providers that hasn't been listened to much by some on Wall Street-they are pushing a proactive approach to enterprise risk management, underwriting, compliance and business process management. The list is too long to include in this space.
The Stress Busters: The Stress Institute tells us that Americans are experiencing "terror," and offers ways to deal with the No. 1 stressor, "financial stress." Dr. Kathleen Hall, ex-financial advisor for a Wall Street firm and current founder and CEO of the institute, offers holistic tips on living a "balanced and mindful life."
AIG's ill-timed junket aside, it will be business as usual for most other insurers in it for the long haul. Why? Because these companies will focus on conservative investing, smart underwriting and will keep an ever-present eye on effective enterprise risk management.
And once the financial fire is under control, capitalism will give birth to new growth and live on in perpetuity. Are you in?
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