| Scammers and Spammers - How to Protect Yourself and Your Money How to Smell a Financial Rip-Off a Mile Away By Suze
Orman
My friends, you need to be more paranoid with your money. It's absolutely sickening how many people are losing big bucks by
falling for online spamming scams and telemarketing schemes. Identity theft seems to be the fastest growing industry in the
U.S. And that's just the real criminal stuff. In my opinion you need to be just as afraid of handing your money over to any
professional money manager, financial adviser, or insurance agent, without clearly understanding why they are making
specific recommendations, what their compensation is, and, most importantly, whether they are any good. They may be legit,
and they may even be backed by a large, well-known company, but that doesn't mean they aren't also incompetent or
unscrupulous. And it's no better to lose your hard-earned money to a credentialed huckster than to an out-and-out con man.
A rip-off is a rip-off, whether it is intentional or not.
Let's talk about how you can protect yourself.
Stop Trying to Pass the Buck
First, find yourself a mirror. Take a good look. That is the only person you can truly trust 100 percent with your money.
You are never going to find anyone who cares about your money and your future as much as you do. So stop blindly trusting
people you don't even know with your financial security! Or letting someone sell you on an investment without your really
understanding what the heck it is! more...
Hold on to Your Heartstrings
Scammers are getting really really good. Rather than just appeal to your natural greed, they are now playing with
your heart. Two of the more popular ones are the Nigerian Advance-Fee Scam and the Women's Gifting Circle. more...
A Word of Advice on Advice
I am constantly amazed where people get their investment advice. It's your money - your future - and yet you tend to
trust just about anyone with your money. You'll take a stock tip from the guy at the gym who you don't even know.
You'll let your well-meaning but clueless Aunt Louise talk you into investing in her mah-jong partner Betty's
nephew's company. And you don't know the nephew - hey, you don't even know Betty - let alone understand what it is his
company does. more...
12 Things You Should Expect of Your Financial Advisor
Here are the 12 things you should expect a financial advisor to do for you. You should type all these requests up on a piece
of paper, and have your advisor sign an agreement to do all the below. more...
Suze Orman has been called “a force in the world of personal finance”
and a “one-woman financial advice powerhouse” by USA Today. She is the author
of four consecutive New York Times bestsellers, including The Road to Wealth.
Suze Orman, a
Certified Financial Planner Professional®,
directed the Suze Orman Financial Group from 1987-1997, served
as
Vice President of Investments for Prudential Bache Securities from
1983-87, and from 1980-83, was an Account Executive at Merrill Lynch.
Watch Suze every Saturday night on CNBC.
Check www.suzeorman.com
for TV listings.
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