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Old 03-03-2016, 02:49 PM   #21
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I never gave them my info, but I've gotten mal from them for a decade or so. Annoying, but it just goes straight into the recycle bin. Unopened.
Same here. And I'm not even near HNW so I wonder why they bother sending me stuff.
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Old 03-03-2016, 03:33 PM   #22
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Same here. And I'm not even near HNW so I wonder why they bother sending me stuff.

Im guessing through magazine subscriptions. I started getting mine after I accepted some cheap subscription offers to finance magazines. They assumed wrong that I was a HNW person.


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Old 03-03-2016, 03:57 PM   #23
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I just notice how incredibly aggressive their marketing is, and the obviously spend a HUGE amount of money on it. So - I figure, stay away!!!
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Old 03-03-2016, 03:59 PM   #24
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I always give out fake name and phone number, mailing address -- and use an old email address that forwards to my current email. I pity the people who get all the junk mail meant for me!
See if you can use their own mailing address. I had some situation like that with my tollway sticker in Texas after I moved. I think I still had 25 cents on it, and could not get them to close the account or stop mailing monthly statements or just about anything else without going in. But I could change my mailing address online. So I changed it to the address they were sending it from. No idea if they are still sending themselves my statement.
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Old 03-03-2016, 04:50 PM   #25
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But I could change my mailing address online. So I changed it to the address they were sending it from.
Oh Man, I'm filing this away for future reference. Brilliant.
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Old 03-03-2016, 05:06 PM   #26
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Thanks for the feedback. The packet is in the recycle bin 😉 The envelope was huge (not necessary) and barely fit in our mailbox.



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Old 07-09-2016, 10:25 AM   #27
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Stay away from these people. I get their mailing every three months. My first encounter with Fisher Investments was at a university alumni gathering at a hotel in Irvine California back in Around March 2002. One person who happened to be an alumni member also worked for Fisher Investments and gave everyone a presentation on how stocks are about to soar 30-50% over the next 2 years because there was more demand than supply for stocks and this would drive the market higher. At the end of the presentation when he asked if there were any comments or questions. I commented that that the fundamentals (earnings, revenue) did not support his companies assertions. The Fisher representative became hostile towards me an stated yelling "you haven't listened to a single word of my one hour presentation - fundamentals have nothing to do with the market". Needless to say the market plunged about 30% over the next few months and Ken Fishers clients didn't break event for another 2 1/2 years. Fast forward to December 2007, Ken Fisher and has minions were pounding the table on financial stocks like Citigroup and AIG and European banks. We all know how that turned out. Their assets under management plunged 50% in 2008. Fast forward to June 2015, I got a call from TD Ameritrade asking if I was interested in a free dinner with no obligation from Fisher Investment. He stated that that Fisher investments was predicting a 20% rise in the market to the end of 2015 because there was more demand than supply for stocks. In summary, the Fisher Investment thesis never changes, they are very successful at finding their next mark. Stay away from these so called "wealth managers". They become wealthy by emptying your account.
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Old 07-09-2016, 10:31 AM   #28
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Beware of free books - this summarizes what Fisher Investments can do for you.

Fisher Investments Ordered To Pay Retiree $376K

Fisher Investments, Incorporated manages over $41 billion in assets for some 40,000 accounts for primarily individual investors and is run by the Forbes magazine columnist Kenneth Fisher. The firm was ordered to pay a retiree $376,075 in compensatory damages for breaching its fiduciary duties, according to a release by Bloomberg. The case was arbitrated through JAMS in Dallas, TX. JAMS is a private forum for arbitration and mediation, which is based out of Irvine, CA. Apparently, Fisher Investments had a clause in its agreement with the customer that required any disputes between the parties to be resolved through private arbitration, since it is a an adviser firm and not a brokerage firm registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Interestingly, Sharyn Silverstein the Claimant, who was a 64 year old retiree, had called up Fisher’s firm simply to get a free copy of his book that was advertised in USA Today, with no intention whatsoever of doing business with the firm. After multiple calls and visits from a Fisher representative, she was pressured into turning over all of her fixed income investments to be invested into equities. This occurred despite vigorous objection from Ms. Silverstein and her husband, Seth. According to the recommendation of the arbitrator, the Claimant is entitled to her losses she incurred as a result of Fisher Investments liquidating her bond portfolio and putting her proceeds 100% into equities. According to testimony at the hearing by Fisher Vice Chairman Andrew Teufel, 80% of the Fisher investors are invested 100% in equities.

Ms. Silverstein placed $876,357 in bonds with Fisher in September 2007. After liquidating the bonds and investing her 100% in equities, her initial investment lost $376,075 by October 2008. According to the award recommendations, the retiree and her husband made it clear that they were going to be taking withdrawals out after he retired at the end of 2007. However, the investment adviser for Fisher used the “Suitability Wizard” to determine her recommended portfolio stating that she had no income needs from the portfolio and her only investment objective was growth until her death. The arbitrator said that the Silversteins had no children and “therefore have no need to leave an inheritance”; that Fisher failed to make reasonable inquiry into the financial situation, investment experience and investment objectives of the Claimant or ignored that information and rubber stamped her for the “one shoe fits all” recommendation of all other Fisher clients: 100% equities benchmarked to the MSCI World (MXWO) Index. Over the time frame she was invested, the MSCI World Index lost about 35% and the Merrill Lynch U.S. Broad Market Index of bonds, which mirrored her investments prior to liquidation, made 2.4%.

When the Silversteins saw they were 100% in equities, they expressed their concern and unhappiness only to be told they would have to pay a fee if they quit, so they stayed. In the summer of 2008, after registering their complaints and concerns of not owning any bonds they were assured that Fisher knew how to predict the market and would take appropriate steps to protect their investments. The arbitrator wrote a 25 page award going over the facts and concluding that Ms. Silverstein is entitled to all of her losses sustained because of the actions of Fisher Investments.
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Old 07-09-2016, 10:44 AM   #29
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"fundamentals have nothing to do with the market"
Yikes! Warren Buffet just might disagree....


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Old 07-09-2016, 02:02 PM   #30
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The guy just is not very intelligent....He wrote an article stating stay away from all preferred stocks as they are all "junk rated". Besides the fact I have made very good money in these since his opining, he is just flat out wrong about all being "junk rated". The vast majority of my issues are Rated between BAA1 to BAA3. He may be a brilliant marketer, but the elevator doesnt quite make it to the top floor on investing prowess.


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Old 07-09-2016, 02:28 PM   #31
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I have read that once they get your contact info that they are unrelenting in pestering you for the rest of your life. So if you like phone calls, then by all means, request the info.

Hint: They know folks who give them contact info are too gullible to resist their unrelenting sales pitches. They also know you will grow old and senile and will eventually get you to pay enormous fees to them.
Oy vey, can attest to that. They gave a seminar at my local library which I went to. I informed them that my husband had just passed away about 8 months prior and I was following the old adage of not making any major decisions for at least a year. lol, dude must have put me in his calendar because 1 year to the day he began calling.

The representative lived in NY and I was at the time living in southern NJ which I told them was a problem for me, didn't deter them one bit.
Then when they told me they were going to liquidate every thing I had and invest it in equities, I told them no way Jose but they absolutely would not advise any thing else.

They gentleman also kept bragging about how many "pension" plans they administer for school districts and professional sports teams. I asked them how much attention were they going to give my lowly 700K if that's the type of client they prefer. He had no answer.

finally had to get a lot "meaner" than I normally like to be and told them to bugger off.
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Old 07-09-2016, 03:00 PM   #32
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I think you all are being too hard on Ken Fisher. Forbes says he has a net worth of $3.3 billion at 65 years old. Not bad for a guy with only bachelor's degree from Humboldt State University.

Surely at least a few of his clients have done as well?
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Old 07-09-2016, 03:04 PM   #33
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I never gave them my info, but I've gotten mal from them for a decade or so. Annoying, but it just goes straight into the recycle bin. Unopened.
Me too, annoying to say the least.
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Old 07-09-2016, 03:14 PM   #34
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Fisher is just another "investment" firm that attempts to separate people from their money. Probably no worse than Ameritrade or Edward Jones. Hopefully anyone who has found their way to this forum has either stayed away from these firms completely, or has educated themselves enough to get rid of them for good and learn the basics of investing for the long term.
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Old 07-09-2016, 03:15 PM   #35
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I think you all are being too hard on Ken Fisher. Forbes says he has a net worth of $3.3 billion at 65 years old. Not bad for a guy with only bachelor's degree from Humboldt State University.

Surely at least a few of his clients have done as well?
Isn't Humboldt State like first in MJ usage?

Fischer has always been an obvious junk mail trap to me. See ads constantly everywhere and carefully avoid clicking.
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Old 07-09-2016, 03:31 PM   #36
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I got another one of those big glossy mailings just this week. It barely fits in my mailbox... My forearm muscles are bulging after ripping it up into pieces small enough to fit my trashcan.
I too, unfortunately, am subscribed to their postal exercise program.

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Old 07-09-2016, 03:50 PM   #37
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I think you all are being too hard on Ken Fisher. Forbes says he has a net worth of $3.3 billion at 65 years old. Not bad for a guy with only bachelor's degree from Humboldt State University.

Surely at least a few of his clients have done as well?
lol Tony Robbins is also very successful (480 million with only a HS diploma) and from what I've heard also has a financial guide book out. I wouldn't recommend it though. I'm not saying Ken is not successful, I'm simply saying he's got ridiculously aggressive sales techniques which for me is a no-no
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Old 07-09-2016, 04:01 PM   #38
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I'm simply saying he's got ridiculously aggressive sales techniques which for me 95% of us here is a no-no
Fixed it for ya!
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Old 07-09-2016, 04:40 PM   #39
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Fisher Investments

I've just now watched the big short... I was on Wall Street and I worked for a huge investment bank and the movie is pretty spot on. The lesson learned is clearly lost on some "Ken is a pretty successful guy"

If your product requires the 'hard sale', is expensive and is of questionable long term benefit to its buyers.. Is that a success? I am surely not as financially successful as Ken but I know the product of my labor adds value and I sleep pretty well with that....

Greed is a powerful thing and what Gordon Gecko said about greed being good isn't absolutely true.. Sometimes it's horribly bad.
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Old 07-09-2016, 05:35 PM   #40
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I think you all are being too hard on Ken Fisher. Forbes says he has a net worth of $3.3 billion at 65 years old. Not bad for a guy with only bachelor's degree from Humboldt State University.

Surely at least a few of his clients have done as well?
Wasn't there a book out some time ago called ,"Where are the Customers' Yachts?"
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