Invitations to retirement planning meals

[Amethyst]

If your presumptive rant is well-written, as it likely will be, I'd be pleased to read it.

I always learn from thoughtful, well-organized rants whose authors manage to resist using CAPITAL LETTERS, and don't punctuate everything with ellipses.

Amethyst

Well this is interesting. I just got a call from my Fidelity Rep and invited to a really decent restaurant for a lunch on their Select funds of which I own a couple. Doesn't really count though, as Fidelity is very low sales pressure and I do usually learn some good stuff from them.

And I promise I won't RANT after going. .

 

[athena53]

I've got almost $400k with Fidelity and live in a suburb of a major city but have never gotten invited to an in-person seminar. Am I too poor for them, maybe?

 

[Corporateburnout]

I've got almost $400k with Fidelity and live in a suburb of a major city but have never gotten invited to an in-person seminar. Am I too poor for them, maybe?

In most cases a private client relationship is needed for the Fidelity seminars that includes lunches or dinners. That's usually assets over 1 Mil.

 

[target2019]

Also check Schwab for local seminars. I don't think they require relationship for group seminars.

 

[MRG]

I've got almost $400k with Fidelity and live in a suburb of a major city but have never gotten invited to an in-person seminar. Am I too poor for them, maybe?

Yes the dinners you need to be a private client but..... If you're around an investment center check out the training and presentations that come around. IIRC they're open to all but in my experience Fidelity doesn't do a great job of promoting them. Been to a couple that were pretty decent.

 

[athena53]

Yes the dinners you need to be a private client but..... If you're around an investment center check out the training and presentations that come around. IIRC they're open to all but in my experience Fidelity doesn't do a great job of promoting them. Been to a couple that were pretty decent.

That would explain it. I have family members who have Private Client accounts and that may get me the same status; will have to look into it.

 

[jazz4cash]

Yes the dinners you need to be a private client but..... If you're around an investment center check out the training and presentations that come around. IIRC they're open to all but in my experience Fidelity doesn't do a great job of promoting them. Been to a couple that were pretty decent.

They've cut way back on the live presentations in this area and offer webinars instead.


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[audreyh1]

Most restaurant meals aren't good enough to endure sitting through a presentation.

Besides - I can easily afford to pay for my own meals, and I usually save it for the exceptional places.

 

[haha]

I've gone to a couple of these. The food is so-so, the presentations predictable and overall it would amaze me if they could possibly be helpful. After all even a medium quality meal is a fairly expensive way to prospect.

I have found the other diners to be pleasant.

Ha

 

[kcowan]

Most restaurant meals aren't good enough to endure sitting through a presentation..

Catch up on your emails during the presentation? The food is a bonus.

 

[mickeyd]

Most restaurant meals aren't good enough to endure sitting through a presentation.

Besides - I can easily afford to pay for my own meals, and I usually save it for the exceptional places.

Don't discount the entertainment value of the presentation. Watching someone lie for an hour can be a riot. Gotta eat lunch someplace, why not let that guy pick up the tab?

 

[MRG]

I had 29 years of people lying to my face. We used to get employee appreciation lunches with the vp. How disingenuous can it get?

 

[splitwdw]

My parents went twice. One time, one of the audience was the know-it-all and kept trying to show up the presenter. The second time, it's was all about annuities and that's something my parents aren't interested. I never received an invite but that may be because of my age. Pretty sure I'll never attend.

 

[haha]

My parents went twice. One time, one of the audience was the know-it-all and kept trying to show up the presenter.

There is almost always a know-it-all. I have more sympathy for the guy away from his home and hearth, trying to make a buck. If I can I will do a low key set-up for him. If someone knows it all, why doesn't he just stay home? Maybe he is so obnoxious that his wife sends him out?

Ha

 

[jazz4cash]

There is almost always a know-it-all. I have more sympathy for the guy away from his home and hearth, trying to make a buck. If I can I will do a low key set-up for him. If someone knows it all, why doesn't he just stay home? Maybe he is so obnoxious that his wife sends him out?



Ha

I went to a half day affair sponsored by a professional group. They had several professionals including estate planners,realtors, and so on. The know-it-all in the audience ended up being the guy I went with, otherwise I would have enjoyed the extra entertainment factor.


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[6miths]

Don't discount the entertainment value of the presentation. Watching someone lie for an hour can be a riot. Gotta eat lunch someplace, why not let that guy pick up the tab?

This is my view. I have a colleague that I sometimes go with and once we got 'shushed' for our side conversation. Hard not to jab your friend in the ribs when the presenter tells a real whopper. Maybe we need to turn it into a drinking game... with $50 tequila shots perhaps!

 

[audreyh1]

Catch up on your emails during the presentation? The food is a bonus.

Don't discount the entertainment value of the presentation. Watching someone lie for an hour can be a riot. Gotta eat lunch someplace, why not let that guy pick up the tab?

That's still not my idea of a pleasant outing. I'm just not that hard up for a free meal.

I'm sure my INTP personality is partly to blame.......

I'm also super picky about food.

and retired, so attending a scheduled presentation lunch seems like work.

 

[Corporateburnout]

and retired, so attending a scheduled presentation lunch seems like work.

Exactly how I felt last Wednesday at a seminar I was invited to with Fidelity. It brought back memories from the offsite meetings we had to endure with speeches and presentations during lunches and dinners so we never enjoyed our meals.

The difference with Fidelity is we had our drinks, dinners and desert before the presentation which made it enjoyable. And since they already have my money, the no sales pressure seminar made it even more enjoyable.

 

[Independent]

That's still not my idea of a pleasant outing. I'm just not that hard up for a free meal.

I'm sure my INTP personality is partly to blame.......

I'm also super picky about food.

and retired, so attending a scheduled presentation lunch seems like work.

+1

 

[kcowan]

That's still not my idea of a pleasant outing. I'm just not that hard up for a free meal.

I'm sure my INTP personality is partly to blame.......

I'm also super picky about food.

and retired, so attending a scheduled presentation lunch seems like work.

Therein lies the difference. You consider it an encroachment and a bother. I consider it a challenge to ask pointed questions and hopefully set some young people straight.

We even attended on of these promotional seminars during our honeymoon. Both of us considered that it improved our experience.

Different strokes...

 

[target2019]

Therein lies the difference. You consider it an encroachment and a bother. I consider it a challenge to ask pointed questions and hopefully set some young people straight.

We even attended on of these promotional seminars during our honeymoon. Both of us considered that it improved our experience.

Different strokes...

We're not all the same person, so different strokes as you mention.

You hit upon a point I had thought of. Going to one of these events is a personal (or joint) decision, whereby you may ask hard questions of an FA, but also confront your own ability to ask a tough question and test your own knowledge.

 

[target2019]

The quality of the meal is linked to the restaurant. We had a few really good meals, and some that were blah. One thing's for sure, if you don't attend there is no free lunch (or dinner).

 

[nwsteve]

That would explain it. I have family members who have Private Client accounts and that may get me the same status; will have to look into it.

We are Private Client with Fido and "yes" they do extend the status to direct family members--our DD and DSIL got in that way. Your family members with Private Client status should request their rep contact you and include you. At least that is the way it worked for us.
Nwsteve

 

[youbet]

There is almost always a know-it-all. I have more sympathy for the guy away from his home and hearth, trying to make a buck. If I can I will do a low key set-up for him. If someone knows it all, why doesn't he just stay home? Maybe he is so obnoxious that his wife sends him out?

Ha

+1

Couldn't agree more! While I've not attended many of these outside of Schwab's (which are frequently worthwhile), in those I did attend I found the know-it-all types who insisted on pressing and interrupting with comments and questions a headache to listen to. I'd be sitting there hypothesizing to myself why the speaker was going on and on about "scary market variation" and coming to the conclusion that he wanted to sell annuities to risk adverse folks when this jerk (right at my table no less) would shout out comments at the speaker loudly and with a demeaning tone. Again and again he interrupted abrasively and sometimes with bad info. I think he had stopped at the lounge section of the restaurant on his way in and popped a few shooters and now had to show everyone what a smart, brave guy he was by exercising his considerable vocal cords........

 

[Amethyst]

Wow, we've never heard a guest be rude to the presenter, although I have been known to politely ask a pointed question or two, when something really struck me as "off." (Like when some remark is made about "government employees.")

It's a dinner, after all, so I'm not going to try to ruin it for the other guests and beside, I am far from knowing it all. The law of averages being what it is, yet another reason not to go to any more of these meals.

+1

Couldn't agree more! While I've not attended many of these outside of Schwab's (which are frequently worthwhile), in those I did attend I found the know-it-all types who insisted on pressing and interrupting with comments and questions a headache to listen to. I'd be sitting there hypothesizing to myself why the speaker was going on and on about "scary market variation" and coming to the conclusion that he wanted to sell annuities to risk adverse folks when this jerk (right at my table no less) would shout out comments at the speaker loudly and with a demeaning tone. Again and again he interrupted abrasively and sometimes with bad info. I think he had stopped at the lounge section of the restaurant on his way in and popped a few shooters and now had to show everyone what a smart, brave guy he was by exercising his considerable vocal cords........