IMHO one of the inherent factors in being "conservative" means to be
leery of new things such as new types of financial instruments.


How right you are. My bank avoided trouble because our Funds Manager
refused to buy anything new and different that he couldn't understand. He
was the only bank employee older than me and had been through the bank
failures of the 70's and 80's. He took a lot of criticism and ridicule for
being a "...conservative old fart," until the **** hit the fan, that is.