Desperate to make ends meet while still maintaining existing levels of services, they did the logical thing: They cried to Washington, D.

FORBES: Days Of Reckoning Await The Municipal Bond Market

The reason is that such a document spells out a logical asset allocation given one's financial goals, discusses the historical levels of volatility inherent in the chosen allocation and mentally prepares the investor for the harsh reality that periods of "black swan" events do happen.

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