David B. Loeper 
Stop the Investing Rip-off 
How to Avoid Being a Victim and Make More Money

The questions every investor should ask before parting with
their hard-earned cash

This book serves as an advocate of the consumer and brings to
light what insiders know about the side of the sales pitches that
consumers don’t, but need to hear. Stop the Investing
Rip-Off reveals the questions every investor should ask during
a financial sales pitch before they pull the trigger and buy the
next mutual fund, stock, advisory service, or other investment
product.

Based on David Loeper’s nearly twenty-five years of experience
of seeing the inner workings of the industry, this updated edition
of his classic book offers new strategies based on the performance
of the stock market over the past two years.

* Sheds light on the oft unseen deceit of the financial services
industry

* An updated and revised edition of the bestselling Stop the
Investing Rip-Off

* Written by David Loeper who is regularly quoted in
Kiplinger’s Money and Investment News and regularity
contributes to Forbes Intelligent Investing

Stop the Investing Rip-Off, Revised and Updated is filled
with advice for investors who want to avoid becoming victims of
smooth talking salespeople and the effective advertising and
marketing campaigns designed to evade reality and prey on your
emotional desires.

Table of Content

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xix

Chapter 1 Major Brokerage Firms 1

Chapter 2 Investment Advisers 19

Chapter 3 Hybrids–Advisory Services Provided through
Brokerages 27

Chapter 4 Discount Brokers 33

Chapter 5 Financial Planners and Wealth Managers 43

Chapter 6 The Financial Press 49

Chapter 7 The Broadcast Media 55

Chapter 8 Authors, Self-Help Books, and Financial Celebrities
61

Chapter 9 Mutual Funds and ETFs 73

Chapter 10 Insurance Agents (and Insurance Companies)
87

Chapter 11 Your Company-Endorsed Retirement Plan Adviser
119

Chapter 12 Banks and Trust Companies 123

Chapter 13 Software, Web Sites, and Financial Educators
127

Chapter 14 Pitches They All Use to Sacrifice Your Life
139

Chapter 15 Resources to Protect Yourself 161

Conclusion 179

Appendix A The Other Millionaire You Make with 2.5 Percent
Excess Fees 181

Appendix B The Other Millionaire You Make with 1.5 Percent
Excess Fees 185

About the Author 189

Index 191

About the author

David B. Loeper is the CEO of Financeware, Inc. Prior to founding Financeware in 1999, Loeper was Managing Director of Strategic Planning for the retail brokerage division of Wheat First Union and served on the Investment Advisory Committee of the almost $30 billion Virginia Retirement System. Loeper has been active in several industry associations, including the IMCA (Investment Management Consultants Association). He has also been a featured speaker at numerous industry events and often contributes to industry publications, as well as appearing on CNBC, Bloomberg TV, Fox Business, CNN, and Yahoo! Finance Vision.