The Big Bad Wolf in Finance

The Japanese would have a a very different take on the story of the big bad wolf. Between tsunami’s, typhoons, and earthquakes, natural disaster’s regularly destroyed towns. Homes weren’t built to withstand anything hurled at them — they were built to work day in and day out, and to be rebuilt quickly after a disaster. Flooring and walls were made to standard sizes, and rooms were built to fit a certain amount of the standard pieces. Whole towns could be rebuilt from stockpiled supplies in a matter of days.

While we are rebuilding our financial system and restructuring our economy and health care system, we need to remember that there will always be a big bad wolf around the corner waiting to blow our house down (and even if we take shelter in the house of brick, earthquakes can quickly bring that house down). There is no final answer or perfect structure — every possible method of organization will entail some risk. The key is to find a way to successfully manage the day to day risks while leaving the flexibility and ability to recover and rebuild quickly after the big bad wolf comes a’knockin.