Investools Seminar

[education]

Hi Everyone--

This past Sat. I went to a free seminar from a company called Investools and it was pretty good about how to buy and sell stocks. Lots of testamonials from average folks who did quite well using the system that included lots of arrows and insider trading info on CEOs and their boards and what they were buying and selling, etc.

The system was pricey--2 day seminar plus internet access was $2,000.

It looked good, but I'm very leery. Anybody in the forum have an luck--good or bad? I didn't bite. I'm waiting to see if they'll call with a better offer.

Thanks for your input.

Professor

[youbet]

When you come home from one of these seminars, you are supposed to put your feet up, take a couple of long pulls from your beer and grin about the whole thing. Actually considering the proposal to spend $2K for the system is sick. Stop it!

[73ss454]

Professor, take the 2K and put it in TSM and call it a day.

[sgeeeee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Professor . . .Lots of testamonials from average folks who did quite well using the system that included lots of arrows and insider trading info on CEOs and their boards and what they were buying and selling, etc.

You are impressed by testamonials from people you don't know?

Quote:

It looked good, but I'm very leery.

What about it looked good? Can you be specific?

Professor, this kind of thing sounds like a scam to me. Nothing you said sounds legitimate or interesting to me. If you have more information that would change a skeptic's mind, please share.

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Prof,

TSM = Total Stock Market index, such as Vangurad's Total Stock Market index (VTSMX).

they are fishing for suckers. don't bite.

[Mr._johngalt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by youbet When you come home from one of these seminars, you are supposed to put your feet up, take a couple of long pulls from your beer and grin about the whole thing. Actually considering the proposal to spend $2K for the system is sick. Stop it!

Agree. Sick sick sick!!!!!

JG

[education]

OK guys. You verified exactly what I thought. Lots of people ponied up to the table with credit cards and a dream of getting rich quickly pounding in their heads. I didn't.

Conference room was ice cold. We weren't allowed in until a certain time. One person was at the registration table so it was very confusing and almost mob-like as people jostled to get in. Very glib speaker with lots of well-rehearsed ad libbed lines. Examples displayed were Enron, WorldCom, etc because "they weren't allowed to give stock tips." But there was definitely a frenzy and lots of electricity in the room and probably 35 out of the 70 people signed-up "to better their lives by having and using these POWERFUL investing tools for a better future."

The danish and the coffee were excellent, though. And I did pick up some nice note pads from the motel. So my 4 hours wasn't a total bust!!!!!!

Professor

[mickeyd]

Quote:

Lots of people ponied up to the table with credit cards and a dream of getting rich quickly pounding in their heads.

This amazes me! Of course I do not know what "lots" is, I am assuming that it was a sizeable number of those who attended. Caution: In these kind of "free seminars" that are presented in order to intice unsophisticated folks to pay $2K for another seminar, it is not uncommon for "shills" to line up immediately after the presentation, before any attendee has had a chance to think about it, and "sign up" with CC in hand. (Follow the leader syndrome)

[CybrMike]

I paid up and went a couple years ago. It was an interesting system and if I were a stock picker I would definitely find the tools they give you on the web site very useful (very deep fundamental analysis).

Part of the theory is that institutional investors move the market, so if you watch where they are moving their money (sectors & individual stocks), you can get in while they are moving the money in.

I found this site and read 4 pillars of investing after I took the course, otherwise I wouldn't have spent the money. Now I'm strictly and index guy, as I've failed at being a stock picker. Yep, that is even with the little RED and GREEN arrows that investools gives you.

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CybrMike I paid up and went a couple years ago. It was an interesting system and if I were a stock picker I would definitely find the tools they give you on the web site very useful (very deep fundamental analysis).

That's hysterical! My day job is heavy duty fundamental analysis. You know what 90+% of the input is? Publicly available SEC filings.

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 That's hysterical! My day job is heavy duty fundamental analysis. You know what 90+% of the input is? Publicly available SEC filings.

I love red herring...........perhaps my favorite fish.........

[My Dream]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinanceDude I love red herring...........perhaps my favorite fish.........

I'm not sure I understood that statement FD, is that sort of like.....................reeled er in.....you know.........hook line and s.........?

[FinanceDude]

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/redherring.asp

This is what I meant...........

[My Dream]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FinanceDude http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/redherring.asp This is what I meant...........

Thanks.

[Elderdude]

I would be leery of any business that used a name INVE-STOOLS.

[CybrMike]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 That's hysterical! My day job is heavy duty fundamental analysis. You know what 90+% of the input is? Publicly available SEC filings.

Sure but who wants to rummage through those when you can just point click boom and all the info is there. They also apply nice pretty little rating systems so that you can compare easily.

[MasterBlaster]

Per the Red Herring definition...

Main Entry: red herring
Function: noun
1 : a herring cured by salting and slow smoking to a dark brown color
2 [from the practice of drawing a red herring across a trail to confuse hunting dogs] : something that distracts attention from the real issue


I think item #2) pretty much sums it up - something that distracts attention from the real issue

[mickeyd]

Quote:

institutional investors move the market

The great majority of institutional investors are passive. So if you are invested in index funds, they have very little advanatage over you CyberMike.

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CybrMike Sure but who wants to rummage through those when you can just point click boom and all the info is there. They also apply nice pretty little rating systems so that you can compare easily.

How shall I put this politely? Looking at historical reported numbers filtered through some kind of service will tell you very little about what the future holds for a company. You also miss lots of details by only looking at the numbers; the footnotes and other disclosures are critical. If you aren't willing to "rummage through those", stick with funds.

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 How shall I put this politely? Looking at historical reported numbers filtered through some kind of service will tell you very little about what the future holds for a company. You also miss lots of details by only looking at the numbers; the footnotes and other disclosures are critical. If you aren't willing to "rummage through those", stick with funds.

Agreed............my favorite ones are the "nonrecurring expenses" footnote, usually numbering in the millions of dollars.................