Daria and I both started our careers as stock brokers. But times have changed since I took the New York Stock Exchange exam in 1971. There are many more products for brokers/financial planners (we call them both "brokers" in this article) to sell and much more pressure to sell them -- lots of them.

With a combined 40 years in the financial services business, Daria and I have seen just about all the tricks of the trade (excuse the pun!) and we're about to reveal them. In addition to our own experience, we talked to a number of brokers with the promise of anonymity. Believe me, you won't find this information anywhere else! Here are investment pitches that should trigger your suspicion:

Next: "In-house" products