"Oh, yes, yes! You see, even though the principles are the same, still if only one company was offering this service to investors—"
"Then what? It'd jack up the prices?"
But that was over-eager. He backed away immediately: "Certainly not, Mr. Borch. Who could suggest such a thing? We all know General Computers' spotless reputation as one of the most heavily capitalized corporations in the country. Besides, by now we should be free of wild brain-truster theories about the evils of monopoly." He smiled sanctimoniously.
I drawled, "So what if only one company was selling these machines?" My brother would be grinding his teeth at this follow-up. But I thought I just about had this salesman boxed. I'd better! He was catching on.
He answered, "Even though the same principles are applied, there are bound to be individual differences in their application. If all users of estate planning computers had relations with the same firm, all these minor fluctuations would be in the same direction for all of them. Although the investment mixes would be far from identical, they would be more alike than economic principles require. On the other hand, the investor who has the courage to associate himself with an alternate set of analyses may be comparatively alone in the course he chooses. Thus he may benefit, when this course chances to be better than expectations, by having to share the reward with relatively few others."
I had him! I said, "You mean this thing might buy me different stocks from what the G.C. whatchamacallit would?"
"Why, yes, it would be surprising if there was not at some point a difference in the two solutions. That was the point you raised so well—"
"And you mean your answer might make me more money?"
"Why, yes, in the case—that is, in the way that I was discussing. Mmm-hmm."
"But then you think G.C. gives out wrong solutions."