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A recent survey indicates that an increasing number of high net worth investors are willing to pay for solid, unbiased, fee-only investment advice, which is not surprising considering the challenges of today’s markets.

There can never be enough law enforcement to protect everyone from those who are intent on perpetrating scams or frauds. At any one time, there are thousands of operators posing as legitimate businesses or investors offering the deal of a lifetime, and they are connecting with tens of millions of people each day on the phone, over the Internet and through the mail.

You may be aware of some of the more prevalent fraudster activities, such as “phishing” which fraudsters use to trick you out of sensitive information.

Many investors have heard the term “asset allocation” at one time or another. From the first time we sign up for a 401k plan at the office all the way through the conversations we have with financial planners in retirement we are bombarded with messages about the importance of proper asset allocation.

In the story of Alice in Wonderland, Alice arrives at a fork in the road and wonders aloud which road to take. A smiling Cheshire Cat appears and asks her what her destination is, to which she replies, “I don’t know.” The toothy cat then proffers the only possible response, “Well, then it doesn’t matter.”

It’s something most Americans don’t think about until it hits the headlines, such as last year when major retailer, Target, revealed that its data base of shopper credit and debit card numbers had been breached. Yet, nearly 15 percent of the population - more than 34 million adults - has reported some form of identity theft, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center.

Do you know who is on the other end of that email address? It might not be as apparent as you think. Can you be sure someone isn’t watching every move you make on your computer?  You can’t see them, but they can see every keystroke. We are all under the constant threat of a cyber-assault. Are you protected?

Once the need for life insurance is determined, the discussion almost invariably turns to the choice of term life insurance versus whole life or permanent insurance. Any comparison of the two, however, is like considering apples and oranges with each satisfying very specific needs, preferences and priorities.

Life is full of uncertainty and the best laid financial plans must account for the unexpected.

In many respects, people can be their own worst enemies in their quest for financial security. When you consider that our lives are nothing more than a culmination of the decisions we make each day, if we tend to make more bad decisions than good decisions, or worse, if we can’t make decisions at all, it’s should be no surprise when financial security  remains elusive.