1. Investment Planning: Following the credit crisis of the last couple of years, the investment strategy of Nassim Taleb has garnered a lot of attention from financial markets and investors. The...

Guidelines for the Research Paper General: state the topic of your research and discuss briefly ( one paragraph ) what you strive to cover in your paper. Topics: The topic has to be of your choosing (with my approval). First go through the chapters in the textbook; is there any topic or sub topic that you are interested in? Another good source of finding topics (and academic articles) is the Journal of Financial Planning. Here are some suggested topics (these are just suggestions) Investment Planning: Following the credit crisis of the last couple of years, the investment strategy of Nassim Taleb has garnered a lot of attention from financial markets and investors. The strategy involves taking positions to benefit from “Black Swan” events, that is placing bets on highly improbable (usually, negative) events in the markets. What is the strategy? Why is it getting so much attention? Is it something that is here to stay or is it just a fad? How does it affect the markets? Suggested reference: The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Published by Random House) “Preparing for the Next 'Black Swan'”, by Jane Kim, Wall Street Journal, August 21, 2010 “Taleb's Pessimism Lures CIC”, by Jenny Strasburg, Wall Street Journal, August 22, 2010 Financial Overhaul Bill: What are the main provisions contained in the Financial Overhaul Bill passed by Congress in June 2010? What are the major criticisms of the provisions of the Bill? Why is the bill important for personal financial planning? Suggested reference: “Major Provisions in the Financial Overhaul Bill”, Wall Street Journal, June 26, 2010 Subprime Mortgage Crisis: What is the subprime mortgage crisis? What are the factors that led to the crisis? Describe a brief timeline of how the crisis unfolded. What has been the effect of the crisis on the economy? How did the government react to the crisis? What are some of the lessons learned from the crisis? Why are these lessons...