Then again, Nationwide has spent much of the crisis snapping up other mutuals that have got into trouble, so the model is not infallible.

Disdain for notions like profit made mutuals, which do not have shareholders to please and are owned by their customers, look boring in the boom.

Not all mutual funds are created equal, and investing in mutuals isn't as easy as throwing your money at the first salesperson who solicits your business.