Worried about financial scams and bad advice? Stick to the investing basics

The investment industry is complex, confusing and intimidating for many people, and it’s made worse by fraud, bad advice and high-risk investments. This combination of factors can be such a turnoff that some people avoid investing altogether. And that’s a problem because it means they miss out on the opportunity to build their savings, which is a crucial part of having enough money for life’s big expenses like postsecondary education and retirement.

While it would be great if fraudsters disappeared, this isn’t going to happen. The scams become more believable all the time and have increased their reach thanks to social media. A recent example is the David Rosenberg scam, where his image was used to convince investors to buy high-risk stocks. There are things that social-media platforms and regulators can do to curb the targeting of investors, but scammers will always find a way around roadblocks, so individuals need to figure out how to avoid falling victim.

David Rosenberg says investment scam using his name bilked victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars

Unfortunately, many people feel ill-equipped to do so, with only 51 per cent of Canadians saying they have an understanding of investing. However, there are a few simple principles that everyone can follow.

The surest way to avoid fraudulent and high-risk investments is to stick with the basics. While some people enjoy wading into the world of individual stocks, cryptocurrencies, and hedge funds, all anyone needs are guaranteed investment certificates (GICs), mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

GICs are wonderfully simple and easy-to-understand products issued by financial institutions, making them safe and reliable. Mutual funds and ETFs are subject to regulation that requires the disclosure of standardized information in an easy-to-access format. This transparency keeps the financial companies accountable and gives investors the information they need to make good decisions. Once you start looking at unregulated investments (like private mortgages) or less regulated products (like hedge funds), you open yourself up to the risk of fraud, mismanagement and ultimately, losing money.

Knowing what a reasonable rate of return is will also protect you from being lured into high-risk investments. A realistic rate of return on a portfolio of global stocks – which can be in the form of equity mutual funds or ETFs – is about 8 per cent per year on average. This is based on the historic returns of the U.S., Canadian and international stock markets. An investment that is touted as generating a significantly higher return than that should be questioned.

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The basic investment principle of risk and return says that you need to take on more risk to generate a higher return. While this principle works very well when it comes to GICs (low risk/low return) versus stocks (higher risk/higher return), unproven investments without a long track record cannot show this to be true. If an investment promises a high return, you have to question what kind of risk is being taken to generate that return – and that’s not a risk that most people can afford to take.

A good investment shouldn’t need to be sold to you. There’s a difference between getting advice on an investment and being sold an investment. Getting advice means someone is explaining what the product is, how much risk there is involved, how it has performed in the past, why it fits in with your investment plan, and how much it costs.

Being sold an investment requires a marketing strategy: a way to grab your attention, hook you in, and ultimately convince you that you should buy it. Some signs to look out for that you are being sold an investment are eye-catching phrases like “investment opportunity,” a sense of exclusivity or being let in on a secret, a promise of high returns, and a pushy or persistent salesperson – which can be anyone from an investment adviser to someone you met at the dog park.

Investing is simple and there are no shortcuts to earning high returns. If you remember this, you should be able to spot a scammer from a mile away.

Anita Bruinsma is a Toronto-based financial coach and a parent of two teenage boys. You can find her at Clarity Personal Finance.