Protecting your savings and investments requires making sound financial decisions. When investment seminars are advertised on television and flyers arrive in the mail promoting the latest and greatest investment guru, you need a strategy for distinguishing the legitimate opportunities from the ineffective. Here are a few tips.

Question the Hype

Always be on guard about any investment seminar leader who brags about doubling and tripling his investments in a short amount of time. While this is possible in volatile markets, it usually requires taking tremendous risks. If you come across such a scenario, ask the investment leader for a photocopy of his investment records.

Look for an Extensive Track Record

Anyone can have a lucky gain in the markets, particularly in a fast-moving bullish market that allows anyone who buys to see rapid gains. Ask the investment seminar leader to provide investment documents going back for at least two years. This will allow you to see longer term patterns in losses and gains.

Speak to Past Seminar Attendees

Speak to past seminar participants to determine if they have achieved success by following the investment seminar leader’s advice. Again, you’re more interested in long-term market trends and investment strategies. Be sure that the participants you interview are not gaining in any way by promoting the investment seminar leader.

Review Materials Before Signing Up

Ask the seminar leader for a sample of the training materials that he or she uses. Watch out for repetitive information or investment principles that may be too basic, outdated or unsound. Be wary of seminar leaders who require exorbitant fees before sharing a sample of their seminar materials.