Has anyone been to a free dinner with financial planning seminar?

[Kellydelly]

Just got a post card in the mail for a financial planning seminar with free meal at Ruths Chris steakhouse. We usually avoid this type of thing like the plague but the dinner venue makes me want to suck it up and go listen to their spiel. Has anyone ever been to a similar event? Are they a hard sell to try and get you to utilize their services?

 

[ronandannette]

Never for financial services but it sounds suspiciously like the model some time-shares use. I'd imagine it would be a pretty hard-sell; nobody gives away free steak. And since I've never heard of a reputable, well-respected firm marketing like this, I'd pass.

 

[Pamlur]

I get them all the time, and they go directly into the trash.

 

[MrsDuck]

Just got a post card in the mail for a financial planning seminar with free meal at Ruths Chris steakhouse. We usually avoid this type of thing like the plague but the dinner venue makes me want to suck it up and go listen to their spiel. Has anyone ever been to a similar event? Are they a hard sell to try and get you to utilize their services?

Don't go. Even a steak dinner at a nice restaurant is totally not worth it. We have a friend who "sells."

 

[tvguy]

My mom was the Queen of the "Financial Seminar with a free meal". I bet she went to 10 before she bought long term care insurance. She learned a lot. Only then did she sit down with her regular Financial Adviser.....who did not do free meal seminars, to see what he recommended. He was shocked how well versed she was on the topic, and what he recommended was exactly what she thought she needed after all the other sales pitches......all for a lower premium.

 

[Kellydelly]

My mom was the Queen of the "Financial Seminar with a free meal". I bet she went to 10 before she bought long term care insurance. She learned a lot. Only then did she sit down with her regular Financial Adviser.....who did not do free meal seminars, to see what he recommended. He was shocked how well versed she was on the topic, and what he recommended was exactly what she thought she needed after all the other sales pitches......all for a lower premium.

I am not any kind of pushover. I made the Hanson's window salesman practically cry when he tried to quote us a price I didn't like . So I am not too afraid of being forced to sign up for anything. I just want to eat a free steak dinner . And we do have a couple of properties and investments so I am kinda curious what this firm has to say about retirement, etc.

 

[mmouse37]

I have gotten them from reputable places but never went. If you feel you can have the dinner and not be pressured into anything go for it.

MJ

 

[Mirielle]

Only chance it IF you can avoid giving your name, place of work, home address, email address and phone number. These people will hound you endlessly!

 

[tvguy]

I am not any kind of pushover. I made the Hanson's window salesman practically cry when he tried to quote us a price I didn't like . So I am not too afraid of being forced to sign up for anything. I just want to eat a free steak dinner . And we do have a couple of properties and investments so I am kinda curious what this firm has to say about retirement, etc.

LOL. My mom was looking at putting carpet in her family room and tried to talk the guy down on the price per square yard in the showroom. He laughed and said he would be happy to quote a discounted price once he measured to see how much carpet she was buying. "the bigger the area, the lower the price per yard" he told her.
I was 16 when she had to negotiate the price on a new car for the first time since my dad passed away. A car was a car to her, and all she cared about was price. The Buick, Olds, Chevy, and Pontiac dealer were all almost next to each other. She wanted an Apollo, or an Omega, or a Nova or a Ventura........they were the exact same car except for the name on them. She told the Buick salesman "if you don't accept my price there are 3 other dealerships that have the same car and might want to do business with me". She got her price. But is was 1974, the Buick dealer was down to 2 salesman because of the soaring price of gas.

 

[gotomu212]

We did one as a favor to a friend. It wasn't high pressure at all, but we had to listen to his pitch during the entire meal so it wasn't really an enjoyable dinner. My husband compared it to a class where they let you eat. We also got a limited menu (I think there were 2 kinds of steak to pick from, a salad, and you picked vegetable or potato).

 

[bethbuchall]

I've only received them for Red Lobster. I don't want a free meal there even with no strings attached.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I would never go to one just for the food. They will serve the least expensive meal possible. Even if it's at a steak house, I wouldn't be surprised if they served chicken.

 

[Twende]

We went to one at a very nice local restaurant. The food was great, we talked to a lot of people who were also there as guests, the lecture was before the meal and done very professionally, and there was no high pressure sell. We learned a lot which helped us make decisions about our future. We ended up going with a different plan but the speaker of it was very insistent with follow up calls until we finally told him we had gone another direction and we have not heard from him since.

All in all it was a nice informative evening with a great meal.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

My parents went every year, I don't know if my dad still does. It was almost like a social event or something, they would always sit w/some friends. Theirs may be different because they were already customers, it was like the Edward Jones annual event.

 

[ICF]

My parents have gone to many of these....also at places like Ruths Chris. My father is the farthest thing from a push over you'll ever find -- and they seem to go to one every few months, so they must not be too painful.

 

[Poohforyou]

Do you honestly think you're going to get the same Ruth's Chris meal as a paying customer?

I've never been desperate enough for a meal or a vacation to go to any sales presentation.

 

[MillauFr]

Agreed. I would be shocked if they gave you a steak. I wouldn't be surprised if they setup a pasta bar.

 

[tvguy]

Agreed. I would be shocked if they gave you a steak. I wouldn't be surprised if they setup a pasta bar.

The one's my mom went to always served steak at the steakhouse, and at the seafood places it was always salmon.

 

[Micca]

Get a good financial advisor & you can afford your own steak dinner. And you can order anything you like. And drinks.

 

[Sanchez]

I am continuously surprised at what people will do when the word free is attached to something. As if time and aggravation are worth nothing. I think that getting free stuff gives some a sort of emotional high or satisfaction.