You may be old enough to recall the TV show, Hill Street Blues, where the sergeant would, at the start of each shift, tell the police officers to “be careful out there.” Well, we need it said to us, too!

I got an email this week with the following:

I’ve annotated it a bit. On the surface, it looks quite legitimate; however, the email address looks suspicious. No, I did not click on the box to “get & print” my receipt.

Who can you trust? Sadly, it seems like the numbers are dwindling, though I remain a firm believer that most people are honest.

Must our rules be designed for the “lowest common denominator”? I don’t think so. I think we should, in general, treat people with respect. That being said, we must still be cautious. Some of the most respected folks of our time (Lance, Bernie, and a host of televangelists) have let us down. Reagan’s admonition to “trust, but verify” still has validity.

So, the firm claims GIPS(R) (Global Investment Performance Standards) compliance; great! Have they been verified? If yes, by whom? Are they credible?

If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.