Investment dinners
 

Dinner Is Served - HumbleDollar

if you aren't the smartest guy in the room, you are the mark. .

Did it once....got a free steak dinner for going to listen to the pitch from Neptune Society and since we had already decided we wanted to go that route, win/win. We enjoyed dinner and he got the business we intended to throw their way before we ate. :a040:

Now TIMESHARE pitches....that is a totally different monster! Got sucked into one of those once....NEVER, EVER again!

We have gone to several when it was a good restaurant we wanted to try and for free why not.

I tune out when they pitch annuities or new super duper life insurance policies. At our age life insurance is not necessary.

Recently went to one and the guy never did say what was in his background that qualified him to handle other peoples financial portfolios.

He was nice enough to tell me he is a fiduciary. So I said ok but did not answer my question. His next answer is he took a couple of online courses and uses a computer program.

And people never ask these questions but sign up with them anyway.

See there's the rub. I read that short blog entry, and I thought - none of this applies to me. The only reason I would go to any of these things is free food. We have no investable assets, so we won't be investing anything, in any funds or time shares or anything else. I just want free food at a decent restaurant.

Did that up north, the downside was, we met at 5pm, they talked til 7, and dinner wasn't served til 8.

So now I know that if I do decide to go to one of these things, I'll make sure I have a small meal an hour before the meeting time, and bring a package of peanutbutter crackers to munch on if it starts running longer.

Although I receive "free" dinner invitations in the mail I have yet to attend any. I ask myself "What is my time worth?" I suppose if I could not go to a nice restaurant on my own hook I might sign up and attend one. The thing is I just cannot stand high pressure sales tactics and personalities.

I would never attend one of these free dinners. But, if I really needed a free meal, it would be food first, talk later, and I can leave after 30 minutes. Otherwise, I would rather go to Wendy's.

PT Barnum was right

You don't have to listen to them. Just turn off your hearing aides and read an e-book on your cell phone until they're done with the presentation.

They talk for an hour before the meal. The least one should do for a free meal is listen respectfully.

Wife does not eat steak so this is my only opportunity to go to a steakhouse

Every once in a while I do learn something new.

Back in my working days investment dinners were a frequent occasion. As a portfolio manager, the Wall Street guys would wine and dine me in the hopes of getting some of the trading business.

I been to a few investment dinners Most of the diners are at good restaurants with good meal choices The hosts varied some were good others were more about them self

Especially the reverse mortgage, timeshare and annuity hucksters.

Most are skillfully scripted psychologically impactful sales pitches conducted under highly controlled conditions. Potential buyers are required to sit through mind numbing cajoling if they want to partake of $25 chicken or $50 steak dinners.

I've been to twenty to thirty of these. Had I followed the advise at the first one five years ago I would have 45% less in investments today. With that knowledge I'll go if the venue is nice. It's easy to say no.

The quality of the presentation does vary wildly. Some are actually pretty good but that is the minority.

Useless fact, those that go for the meal (but have no intentions of buying) are known as plate lickers

Well if the food is that good..........