I just got an invitation in the mail to a “special VIP guest” at something called the American Training Conference, where I get the chance to be trained by 5 of the wealthiest self-made multi-millionaires in the country and learn their secrets. And – Gasp! – the normal tuition fee of $149 is waived for me!! What a value! This is usually about the time I start the shredder.
But then something caught my eye – one of the speakers is William Danko, Co-Author of the oft-mentioned book The Millionaire Next Door. Here is a scan of my free ticket (click to enlarge):
So I did a little more research about this conference… According to this article, South Dakota’s Director of the state’s Consumer Protection Division warns consumers to avoid these seminars, the letter-writer Reed West is listed on RipOffReport.com doing these seminars under many different aliases, and is also under investigation by the Better Business Bureau.
This saddens me. The man who has inspired many middle-class working Joes to live frugally and strive for wealth is now part of scheme to skim money off the uneducated. I’ll bet my net worth that at the end of this “free” conference full of vague concepts there will be a sign-up sheet for another one with supposedly more information that costs a couple hundred bucks.
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say it aint so =(
I’m sorry to hear this too. I love The Millionaire Next Door. Too bad one of it’s authors has gotten mixed up in this.
You should go, see what it’s like, and report back… it’s not like they don’t have your name and address already. 🙂
Seminars are great. Organizers have found a way to get people to PAY to be marketed to (except those that get the free invitations). Nothing comes of these things other than vague concepts, as you said, and the “hard sell” for the “full course” or books, or whatever they’re offering.
I must be in a cynical mood today. :>
Jim – The REALLY sad thing is that is was sent to some random spam name I made up when signing up for online newsletters. Ben Dover, for example. So it’s a spam mailing for sure. VIP Guest my butt.
I think you should go and cause a classy ruckus.
Is there free food and drinks? I have been to one of these types of things and if you go in with a strong mind not to be sucked into the rhetoric and you take a friend with you, you can usually get some pretty good food and good laughs at all the people who are taking it all so seriously!! I am positive this is what people with millionaire minds would do….
freemoneyfinance always refers to this book, almost religiously. have you told them about this?
Thanks for the info regarding this spam. I received an invitation with a free book “The Millionaire Next Door”. After reading the comments, I think that I will just purchase one myself.
Pete
That is so sad….I loved his book.
I don’t understand your comments.
My niece owes 100K for her bachelors degree in social work. She was lucky to find a job for 28k per year. Talk about vague concepts, what can she do with that?
The fact that millionaires want to teach people something that no-one else is capable or willing to teach is admirable. The fact that you object to getting what you call vague conceptsfor free is laughable and a reflection of your conditioning.
If these people offer more valuable and less vague information for a price, that is ok too. This is america and free enterprise it at the rooot of all of the millionaires next door.
Show up, learn something, and stop protecting yourself from learning that most of what you have been taught to date is most likely incorrect.
Open Minds Help mankind
Thanks for listening to my rant
Marc
The book was pretty slim on practical advice. All it talks about is saving ad nauseum. Anybody can get rich by saving thousands of dollars for 50+ years. But what good is a million dollars going to do for a 70 year old person?
I say have fun and find smarter and faster ways to get rich.