Journalism attracts people with exceptional linguistic talent, but I have found that very few have the mathematical sophistication to appreciate the … - William J. Bernstein

Most great financial innovators come from humble circumstances - nothing arouses fascination with financial assets quite like their absence.

The rub here is that buying when prices are low is always a very scary proposition. The low prices that produce high future returns are not possible without catastrophe and risk.

In fact, the nation's biggest investment pools are the retirement funds of the large corporations and governmental bodies, such as the California Public Employees Retirement System (CALPERS), which manages an astounding $170 billion. These plans receive a level of professional management that even the nations wealthiest investors can only dream of.