Another bail-out?

After the financial failures (and executive coverups) of Enron and Worldcom, followed by the government bail-out of Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac--and now the collapse of Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers and AIG . Anyone else frustrated by the irresponsibility of corporate executives walking away with millions after their companies collapse, leaving an unconscionable burden on us taxpayers after We the People bail them out?

What's next? Reuters announced this morning, "After AIG rescue, Fed may find more at its door."

Now, on a personal finance level...I had AIG insurance for a brief six months, but the number of simple clerical errors exasperated me--they got my husband's and my birthdates wrong (not just switched, but completely different months and years!), then our drivers' license numbers wrong, and on and on. I called them more times in that first six months to request corrections to our account and our coverage than I've ever had to contact an insurance company in all the previous two decades! I immediately found another company and dumped AIG.

After, I shook my head at their polished television ads while behind the scenes, AIG paid low-wage workers with, sad to say, matching IQs to handle accounts.

Lesson? Trust your instincts. No matter what the purported reputation of a company, if they prove incompetent or questionable in simple matters, move on and find a company who proves to be more than style over substance, who invests in their customer service as well as their public persona.