- Mike Lathigee writes, in the current economic climate, it is easy to blame Wall Street and lazy regulators for all our financial troubles, but blame doesnt solve the problem. If investors want to improve their financial situation, they must be honest with themselves about how they make financial decisions. In my travels around the world Ive talked with thousands of investors and observed investment patterns that deeply disturb me, says Michael Lathigee. As a society North Americans have been taught poor financial habits and been left untrained in even basic investing skills. We have been trained to stop saving, to borrow against future earnings instead. We have been trained to distrust our own intelligence and abilities. As a result, when facing these harsh economic times, many investors are fearful, distrusting and desperate. This makes some vulnerable to exploitation.