High cost of free seminars

Singaporeans like to get free service, free advice and free seminars. They even ask if the event comes with a  free goodie bag.

They should realise that the event cost a lot of money to organise, including the high cost of advertising, rental of the venue and the cost of the speakers. How does the organiser get the revenue to pay this cost?

The answer is obvious. It comes from the products that are sold at the event. The price of these products are marked up to cover the high cost of marketing. If few sales are made, such as in a seminar on land banking time sharing or "special" financial products,  the markup has to be increased accordingly. And the markup can be very high!

It is better for the public to pay to attend a seminar on financial planning that is organised by a consumer education body, such as FISCA. You will get impartial and relevant advice that is good for consumers. You will get advice on how to avoid expensive financial products that take away a large part of the accumulated savings.

Before you attend a financial planning seminar, it is better for you to read a book to get background information. Spend $12 and 12 hours to be educated with my book, Practical Guide on Financial Planning. Be educated and avoid paying the high price of ignorance!

Tan Kin Lian