There is no doubt that even in today's complicated investment arena, having a "Stock Broker", "Investment Advisor", "Financial Consultant", or what ever brokerage firms call their salesmen today, is no guarantee of successful investing.

In fact, most likely if you take the time to do your own research, follow your own instincts, and make sensible decisions, your returns could easily out pace those of the financial consultant.

Financial consultants, stock brokers or advisors have their hands so tied by brokerage firms petrified of being sued that their brokers can not even give you basic advice with out clearing in first. In today's fast moving markets, that's unacceptable.

Take a look at some recent experiences regarding brokers:

• Most firms recommend it's brokers sell Preferred stock of FNMA and FREDDIE MAC even though most of
  Wall Street thought that eventually the Government would take them over.
• Some brokerage firms issued sell recommendations the day after FNMA and FREDDIE MAC were taken over.
• Try to get a broker at 4:30 in the afternoon.
• Try to get your broker at lunch time.
• Try to quickly sell a stock, it can take the broker up to 5 minutes to enter an order, while the price continues to slip
• Try to get your broker at 9AM on a Tuesday morning, (all firms seem to think their "SALES meeting" is more
  important than taking to client before the market opens)

These are just a some of the poor customer service you can expect. I tried to get my broker at 12:06 today and receptionist put me through to his office 4 times even though he was not their.
I tried to get another broker at 4:30 yesterday and got voice mail, his secretary didn't feel like picking up the phone.
I asked one broker for a chart on a stock and he told me his firm would not let him email it to me, said he needed to get approval.
I tried to sell a security with a broker in Oregon at 9:30AM EST. The office manager answered the phone, said the broker was out and the secretary would not be in until 10AM and to call back. He never offered to help even though I wanted to sell now and was at risk.

I could go on and on, but why. If anything, service is getting worse.

When was the last time your broker called you,

Oh yeah, when he wanted to sell you that hot preferred or hot deal of the day, right!