TOP DRAWER SATIRE
An Ounce of Prevention
by
HL Carpenter
Financial advisors say an ounce of Prevention is a good investment, yet chances are you won't be purchasing any soon.
"Who wants to pay for something they're not going to use?" asks Nip Inthebud, a behavioral scientist who studies avoidance issues.
Prevention is a rare commodity and putting a value on it is difficult, which may be one reason no one is interested in buying. In polls, respondents are unanimous in responding that Prevention is "nice to have" while at the same time indicating they intend to continue living without it.
Ms. Inthebud offers another reason for the difficulty in valuing Prevention: It's usually measured against a pound of cure, and people have no idea what that's worth either.
Analysts believe the market for Prevention will remain weak. There's little demand, plenty of sellers, and not enough interest in setting a precedent by being the first to invest.
"It's hard to see the upside," Ms. Inthebud says. "This is a case of better safe than sorry."
Originally published January 2011.
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HL Carpenter, an experienced investor and a CPA, specializes in reader friendly financial and tax topics for individuals and small businesses, and publishes Top Drawer Ink, a newsletter that's chock full of humor and common sense information.
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Last update: January 22, 2011
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