Pontiac is toast, are GMC and Saturn to follow?

[FinanceDude]

I don't think the differences in margin between Chevy and GMC are due to efficiencies at GMC, but because buyers are willing to pay more for the GMC brand. Yes, they are the same truck, but it wasn't always the case, and the GMC badge has the "aura" of being GM's heavy-iron commercial line. So, buyers want a beefy truck, and the salesman strolls them over to the GMC pickups. "As a smart truck buyer, you know heavy-duty construction when you see it. I'm going to show you these GMC pickup trucks, cousins to the big rigs you see every day."

Why do buyers pay ER's of over 1% for an index fund that they can get at Vanguard for 0.2%? Same thing, I guess.

Because the insurance guy at Principal is friends with the CFO of the company, and takes him golfing at nice places and buys him Cuban cigars and single malt scotch........