Comments on: Gurus http://www.four-pillars.ca/2009/02/17/gurus-experts-dont-get-scammed/ Investing and Personal Finance Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:01:39 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Are Real Estate Guru’s Worth the Money? | gkrei.com http://www.four-pillars.ca/2009/02/17/gurus-experts-dont-get-scammed/comment-page-1/#comment-13184 Are Real Estate Guru’s Worth the Money? | gkrei.com Tue, 14 Apr 2009 06:00:08 +0000 http://www.four-pillars.ca/?p=3121#comment-13184 [...] Guru’s - A great take on real estate guru’s by Mr. Cheap over at Four Pillars. [...] [...] Guru’s – A great take on real estate guru’s by Mr. Cheap over at Four Pillars. [...]

]]> By: Happiness Is Better http://www.four-pillars.ca/2009/02/17/gurus-experts-dont-get-scammed/comment-page-1/#comment-11326 Happiness Is Better Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:31:11 +0000 http://www.four-pillars.ca/?p=3121#comment-11326 John T. Reed's website is certainly the place to look at when considering a national gurus. I'm a member of the DFW real estate investing community and there are also "gurus" within that community. While they don't have the presence and advertising of some of the national gurus, some of them like to rip people off like they are on the national scene. Fortunately, the real estate investing community is a pretty small group and it's easy to figure out the pretenders. Thanks for the post! John T. Reed’s website is certainly the place to look at when considering a national gurus. I’m a member of the DFW real estate investing community and there are also “gurus” within that community. While they don’t have the presence and advertising of some of the national gurus, some of them like to rip people off like they are on the national scene. Fortunately, the real estate investing community is a pretty small group and it’s easy to figure out the pretenders.

Thanks for the post!

]]> By: tom http://www.four-pillars.ca/2009/02/17/gurus-experts-dont-get-scammed/comment-page-1/#comment-11255 tom Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:51:24 +0000 http://www.four-pillars.ca/?p=3121#comment-11255 Well you are right but I have started to realize this in the last few months after accumulating so much debt that it was scary and not getting anywhere. And you are right, the internet is a wonderful source for free info, especially blogs. I recall going to the Trump Insititute, a free seminar in my city and they were selling a real estate program for 2k and an online business (e-commerce) program for 400. I bought that, and there was another meeting for those who bought it and all they did was give us steps and a bunch of hype of others that became successful. At the end, they said, whoever wants one on one training and get started, pay 5k. I mean that 400 I could have saved and done my own research but hey I was a lot more naive back than. Well you are right but I have started to realize this in the last few months after accumulating so much debt that it was scary and not getting anywhere.

And you are right, the internet is a wonderful source for free info, especially blogs.

I recall going to the Trump Insititute, a free seminar in my city and they were selling a real estate program for 2k and an online business (e-commerce) program for 400.
I bought that, and there was another meeting for those who bought it and all they did was give us steps and a bunch of hype of others that became successful.
At the end, they said, whoever wants one on one training and get started, pay 5k.
I mean that 400 I could have saved and done my own research but hey I was a lot more naive back than.

]]> By: Mr. Cheap http://www.four-pillars.ca/2009/02/17/gurus-experts-dont-get-scammed/comment-page-1/#comment-11252 Mr. Cheap Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:01:40 +0000 http://www.four-pillars.ca/?p=3121#comment-11252 Tom: Very interesting! How did you find out about his personal situation? Did you ever hire him again? I suspect a great many gurus don't have the experience they claim they do (e.g. most real estate gurus have bought FAR less real estate than they claim). tom: I don't think that sometimes, I think that ALL the time :-). All the info you could ever want is available free on the internet, in reasonably priced books, and by digging in and doing the research yourself. When you research things properly, you also have a better understanding of how true it all is as well (there's nothing stopping gurus from selling misinformation). Tom: Very interesting! How did you find out about his personal situation? Did you ever hire him again? I suspect a great many gurus don’t have the experience they claim they do (e.g. most real estate gurus have bought FAR less real estate than they claim).

tom: I don’t think that sometimes, I think that ALL the time :-) . All the info you could ever want is available free on the internet, in reasonably priced books, and by digging in and doing the research yourself. When you research things properly, you also have a better understanding of how true it all is as well (there’s nothing stopping gurus from selling misinformation).

]]> By: Tom http://www.four-pillars.ca/2009/02/17/gurus-experts-dont-get-scammed/comment-page-1/#comment-11250 Tom Sun, 22 Feb 2009 05:20:22 +0000 http://www.four-pillars.ca/?p=3121#comment-11250 I worked in the investment real estate industry for a while about ten years ago. For one 'presentation', we hired a guru to speak for $5,000. Well, as it turned out, he was broke, hardly owned any real estate and desperately needed the speaking fee. He was a great speaker, though, and dressed very well. I worked in the investment real estate industry for a while about ten years ago.
For one ‘presentation’, we hired a guru to speak for $5,000.
Well, as it turned out, he was broke, hardly owned any real estate and desperately needed the speaking fee.
He was a great speaker, though, and dressed very well.

]]> By: GSS-Fresh Start http://www.four-pillars.ca/2009/02/17/gurus-experts-dont-get-scammed/comment-page-1/#comment-11248 GSS-Fresh Start Sat, 21 Feb 2009 22:02:09 +0000 http://www.four-pillars.ca/?p=3121#comment-11248 Heh, I've been to a few easy money things. They are so amusing. After an hour I'll be like, ok, there's no specific examples, the concept has only been grazed over and we've done nothing but danced around like underpants gnomes merrily overlooking that going from step one to profit is a complete mystery. The first meetings are good free entertainment, I wouldn't pay for subsequent meetings though. Heh, I’ve been to a few easy money things. They are so amusing. After an hour I’ll be like, ok, there’s no specific examples, the concept has only been grazed over and we’ve done nothing but danced around like underpants gnomes merrily overlooking that going from step one to profit is a complete mystery. The first meetings are good free entertainment, I wouldn’t pay for subsequent meetings though.

]]> By: The Financial Blogger » Blog Archive » Financial Ramblings http://www.four-pillars.ca/2009/02/17/gurus-experts-dont-get-scammed/comment-page-1/#comment-11245 The Financial Blogger » Blog Archive » Financial Ramblings Sat, 21 Feb 2009 13:32:51 +0000 http://www.four-pillars.ca/?p=3121#comment-11245 [...] Cheap at Four Pillars wrote an interesting article about Gurus (let’s bet he doesn’t like them too much ;-0 [...] [...] Cheap at Four Pillars wrote an interesting article about Gurus (let’s bet he doesn’t like them too much ;-0 [...]

]]> By: Weekly Dividend Investing Roundup - February 21, 2009 | The Dividend Guy Blog http://www.four-pillars.ca/2009/02/17/gurus-experts-dont-get-scammed/comment-page-1/#comment-11244 Weekly Dividend Investing Roundup - February 21, 2009 | The Dividend Guy Blog Sat, 21 Feb 2009 11:01:46 +0000 http://www.four-pillars.ca/?p=3121#comment-11244 [...] Watch the guru love [...] [...] Watch the guru love [...]

]]> By: tom http://www.four-pillars.ca/2009/02/17/gurus-experts-dont-get-scammed/comment-page-1/#comment-11225 tom Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:44:04 +0000 http://www.four-pillars.ca/?p=3121#comment-11225 Wow what an awesome article, and I will definitely look more into the links you provided. I will also add this point to my top 10 link post for next week, awesome stuff. Wow what an awesome article, and I will definitely look more into the links you provided.
I will also add this point to my top 10 link post for next week, awesome stuff.

]]> By: Cash Canuck http://www.four-pillars.ca/2009/02/17/gurus-experts-dont-get-scammed/comment-page-1/#comment-11147 Cash Canuck Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:40:03 +0000 http://www.four-pillars.ca/?p=3121#comment-11147 Two names come to mind for me. Maybe not "scammers" in the most derogatory sense of the word, but I believe the qualify as gurus. Robert Kiyosaki and Suze Orman. What separates them from the rest of the scammers is that they are so much better at it. If you can convince Oprah, then the world is at your doorstep. Every time I see either of these people on TV I can't help but feel that they're only trying to sell product, and not actually trying to help people. To Robert and Suze if you are reading this blog: Sorry, nothing personal. ;) Two names come to mind for me. Maybe not “scammers” in the most derogatory sense of the word, but I believe the qualify as gurus.

Robert Kiyosaki and Suze Orman. What separates them from the rest of the scammers is that they are so much better at it. If you can convince Oprah, then the world is at your doorstep. Every time I see either of these people on TV I can’t help but feel that they’re only trying to sell product, and not actually trying to help people.

To Robert and Suze if you are reading this blog: Sorry, nothing personal. ;)

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