Have you seen the latest TV ads from Schwab? While they are technically similar to their older ads (using Rotoscoping - the animation of live actors), the message is astoundingly different and have tapped into a feeling that most people have likely not felt in a while: control.

With the market falling every time a government official opens his or her mouth, people have watched their retirement savings, college savings, and net worth fall as well. Housing prices have plummeted. People are being laid off. And many people feel there is nothing they can do about it. You may have noticed it has become somewhat fashionable in social circles to discuss how you are cutting costs. Why? Because at least you can control your spending.

So in a time of uncertainty, Schwab has come out with an ad campaign that strikes at the heart of the creeping malaise that says, in essence, “It’s time to take control of your finances and do something.” While they are not Pollyannaish, they are uplifting in that they offer an alternative to the negative nabobs that currently flood the airwaves.