I am pretty terrified of the dead rising from their graves and becoming non-feeling, flesh devouring cannibals. They will consume the living and return to create more of the undead. There is really no way to stop this. It feeds on itself and you might have to fear your fellow survivors more than the wretched corpses due to basic human survivor instincts. Kill or be Killed . No place is safe and no one can be trusted. God forbid if the zombies are fast moving and not the typical slow moving clod variety. What the heck does this have to do with the financial service industry?? Unfortunately the correct response is an awful lot! Just think of commission hungry salesman hunting for their prey. They are often unfeeling toward the suffering they will cause by their actions and are motivated by one thing, the cold hard cash from their commission check that will sustain them. They are never satisfied and their hunger is insatiable. Sometimes they will receive cash substitutes such as tickets to the Bahamas or maybe even a new car! They can even infect the living. They will tell you to speak to your friends and tell you to refer!!! The living are now infected and become carriers of Sales Charges, Illiquid and inappropriate investments, and high fee mutual funds. Soon the whole country is at risk and a comfortable retirement seems to be just another dream in the post-apocalyptic world. The antidote is nowhere to be found.
As we all know, there is one way and way only to kill the zombie. You must destroy its brain. A bullet, arrow or crowbar will all suffice. Now in no way am I advocating violence toward to our friendly local salespeople, most are genuinely nice guys trying to make a living but are just misguided. The solution to the financial zombie apocalypse is not violence but does have to do with the brain, your brain not the zombies. The antidote is a proper financial education. Read blogs like this. Visit investor protection websites like FINRA. Google words like index funds, fiduciary, and diversification. More importantly, learn to ask questions like How are you getting compensated?? This question will be your first line of defense. Hopefully tomorrow night Rick will prevail in his showdown with the evil governor and the zombies on The Walking Dead. I have provided you with your defense. Trust me it will be a lot easier than chopping off an infected limb with an axe and hoping to survive in a world full of flesh eaters and human marauders.
Anthony Isola
