Free-lunch seminars

These pseudo-educational events are a popular way for investment salespeople to fish for customers. Your hosts might not be out to steal your savings, but you can be pretty sure there's at least a commission in it for them if you buy what they're selling. Worse, the financial products they push are likely to be overpriced, inappropriate for your needs, or worse. And the lunch might not be that good, either.

For help

If you need financial advice, paying for it is almost always a better bargain. You can get referrals to fee-only financial planners, the kind who charge for advice but aren't paid commissions on the products they sell, from the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, at www.napfa.org.