Historically, tumultuous times offer some of the best opportunities to buy stocks, and the market's current mess surely qualifies. And probably no bigger mess within a public company exists today outside of fallen insurer American International Group (NYSE:AIG). Believe it or not, though, some investors still see many compelling reasons to consider buying shares of AIG today

In our Motley Fool CAPS community, 2,672 investors have given a bullish or bearish opinion on AIG. Poring through the detailed information packed in pitches and other comments, I've dug up three of the top reasons why many members consider the stock a buy today:

1. Too big to let fail: The U.S. government has funneled billions of dollars into AIG, Citigroup (NYSE:C), and Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) to thwart potential financial system collapse. Some CAPS members think the government won't let the institution fail, and that the backing provides a greater chance of success for AIG.                           

2. Investment gains: A Bernstein analyst recently predicted that investment gains in the second quarter could drive book values higher for some insurers like AIG and Hartford Financial (NYSE:HIG), providing a different situation from the losses that took place in quarters past. Competitor Chubb reported investment gains for the second quarter and data from the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers recently showed signs that commercial insurance prices are stabilizing.

3. Little downside left: While investing in AIG still poses high risk, some CAPS members think that the upside potential of AIG is too much to pass up at recent share prices. Many anticipate the company will eventually get back on track and focus on core businesses. In its restructuring, it's been selling assets and is bringing in six new directors, including former board members of companies like American Express (NYSE:AXP), Boeing (NYSE:BA), and Sears Holdings (NASDAQ:SHLD) to guide it through the transition.

Of course, there's a lot more devil in the details of these buy-side opinions, which is why CAPS is such a great resource to check and balance your own analysis. You can read the bullish and bearish sides to every stock. To see what the very best CAPS members are saying now about AIG, just click on over to Motley Fool CAPS and have a look -- it's all free, and your opinion's welcome.

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