Hendry, who gets high marks for being aggressive, pleads for patience, insisting his product shouldn’t be judged until spring training opens next month or by Opening Day on April 6 — the later deadline perhaps a nod to always-on talks for leadoff hitter Brian Roberts.Fair enough because as the Cubs stand today — poised to unveil switch-hitting Milton Bradley, who’s expected to wear Sammy Sosa’s old No.

21, as their new right fielder — they look no better than the team that left so many disappointed three months ago.

In fact, you could argue they look a little worse than the club that won a National League-best 97 games in 2008.Let’s first look at the key players they have lost: All-Star closer Kerry Wood, power-hitting second baseman/right fielder Mark DeRosa and durable fifth starter Jason Marquis.Wood will be replaced in the bullpen by right-handers Kevin Gregg and Luis Vizcaino, who will set up new closer Carlos Marmol.

If you...

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Mathur, Secretary General, Life Insurance Council.

From market-linked to guaranteed returns.

Investor confidence has taken a beating during the last one year as customers witnessed the flip side of market-linked products.

Customers are now looking at guaranteed returns or additions and principal protection.

Riding on the back of bullish stock markets, which resulted in skyrocketing sales of unit-linked policies , the life insurance industry grew at 50-60 per cent rate during the last few years.

New products will provide a floor and limit downside risks,?says Sunil Kakar, chief financial officer, Max New York Life Insurance.

With the markets continuing to be range bound, and interest rates expected to fall, life insurers are expected to bring in products with balanced fund options and automatic asset allocation funds.

?009 will see products that are either debt oriented, or guaranteed-return products, or capital-addition guaranteed products.

We expect products...

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