Protecting Against Financial Scams

Financial scams are getting much more sophisticated and are a growing problem. It’s easy for anyone to momentarily let down their guard and get nailed. It’s especially easy for the elderly. So much has changed in recent years and the elderly often have a tough time sorting out the legitimate advances from the smooth talking con artists. A recent study showed that the elderly who have been working with a financial advisor or some other trusted advisor are much less likely to fall victim to scams. Financial products have gotten much more complicated over the years. With the advent of cheap computing power it became possible to add many more features to products. Now consumers have choice about everything but it’s much more difficult to sort out what is really important to them, what they need and what they are paying for. As we age, our brains become less agile and can get overwhelmed with this growing complexity. Nowadays, everything comes with an inch thick instruction manual. While there’s no sure way to ward off all scams, the one good rule is that if something sounds too good to be true, be especially wary.  Recently, Financial Planning Magazine ran an article on protecting against scams: http://www.financial-planning.com/30-days-30-ways/protecting-elderly-clients-more-scams-2692756-1.html?utm_campaign=30%20days%2030%20ways-may%202%202015&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&ET=financialplanning%3Ae4297713%3A1591a%3A&st=email