Better yet, these products are so complex and involve so many variables--life span, tax rates, market performance, interest rates--that they're almost impossible for clients to evaluate properly.

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Infrastructure consulting, which entails providing consulting services to clients to help them evaluate and implement efficient IT infrastructure, is a discretionary part of spending that clients typically cut down on during a slowdown.

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There is remarkably little credible information regarding the quality of services that lawyers provide, and it is exceptionally difficult for even clients of lawyers to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their lawyers.

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