Niall Ferguson's "The Ascent of Money" critiques the role of structured products in the financial market, highlighting how their sellers claimed these innovations helped spread risk effectively to those capable of managing it. The promise of securitization suggested a sophisticated understanding and control over risk, appealing to investors seeking stability.

However, this ideal was shattered when it became clear that the risk was often transferred to parties who lacked the necessary knowledge to comprehend it. This misallocation of risk led to significant financial consequences, illustrating the disparity between the expectations set by financial products and the realities faced by uninformed investors.