Financial innovation in the investment business is, in our opinion, sometimes just smoke and mirrors. The recent movie The Incredible Burt Wonderstone illuminates what this smoke and mirror façade can produce. The movie portrays two magicians who have a long-running show on the Las Vegas Strip. One act of their show is much like the game of Hangman. Burt Wonderstone (played by Steve Carell) presents the trick to the audience while his side kick Anton (played by Steve Buscemi) walks up the top of the platform and prepares to put his head inside the noose. Both entertainers put cloaks on to mask their body and head. The noose is tightened for the hangman. The trapdoor of the hangman drops. Seconds later, the head covers are pulled and magically the entertainers have deceivingly traded places without the audience knowing. How magical!