There's no such thing as altruism.

You want 21 percent risk free? Pay off your credit cards.

Rule of thumb: The more trimmings an insurance plan has and the harder someone is pitching it, the faster you should run.

But successful investors tend to be not too self-destructive. They tend to be patient, they tend not to follow the crowd, and they tend not to be too guilty about winning.

The larger the deductible you choose, the less insurance you are buying. Insurers want to sell insurance.

The life insurance industry is filled with good people who believe in their work and their companies, but who may never have challenged the assumptions underlying their efforts.

What kind of bank gives back 65 percent-often less-of what you deposit? Indeed, when you compare the services of a bank and an insurance company, common sense suggests something is out of whack.