The principal reason that this type of information is not required is that firms engaged in harmful activities have not, until the past few years, sought to raise funds from the U.S. investor community, including your state pension funds.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy

More CEOs and their key managers should make this type of engagement their principal job focus.

FORBES: CEOs: Getting Back To The Front Line

Principal protected notes are one common type of structured product.

FORBES: Rethinking Long-Only Equity

But the bottom line is more simple than that: Bonds are a type of loan for which you can expect the return of your principal in time.

FORBES: Dow 14,000: What to Do Now

And one of the principal subjects of that conversation was the effort that President Napolitano was undertaking to help forge the type of Italian response and the type of Italian government that could project the confidence necessary to deal with the challenges in Italy and the eurozone.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing