I get calls on my radio show all the time from people stuck in an investment they didn't want. They went for the "free lunch" seminar and met a high-pressure salesman with a deal they didn't refuse. Remember — if it sounds too good to be true, it probably IS.

When it comes to investing, you must work with someone who has the heart of a teacher, not a salesperson. If your investment person doesn't have the heart of a teacher, tell him "You’re fired!" — and get someone new. If your "financial planner" wants you to invest in a Hybrid African Beetle Tax Shelter, but your sister and parents think it is not a smart idea, you might take more time to consider the matter. You should avoid getting caught in the "they-don’t-understand-intricate-financial-transactions" syndrome, because your mother may really know best.

Time-shares are one example of investments bought during one of these "free lunch" meetings. But they’re a rip-off! Time-shares decrease in value worse than a car and are almost impossible to sell. Think about it. A time-share is really just an overpriced hotel room. You went away for the nice weekend thinking, I’ll just listen to what they say and tell them no. But then you felt cornered and made an impulse decision.

If you made this impulse buy — sell it. Accept the fact that you will lose money on the deal. Do not prepay a realtor to get on a list; I’ve never met a soul who sold a time-share based on a prepaid commission. Sell the unit back to the company for less than it is worth and pay the salesperson double commission as an incentive. Most time-share companies don’t want to sell a used unit if they still have new ones available.

A recent caller on the radio show spent $8,000 on a time-share after attending a "free lunch" presentation. Now, even if the company says that it is worth $10,000 a few years later, she will end up selling it for half that price. Instead of buying a time-share, the caller could have used that money to go on dream vacations. That’s an expensive free lunch!

We have to make ourselves slow down and seek wise counsel. Don’t let high-pressure salesmen bully you into making any impulse move.

Dave Ramsey’s financial advice appears regularly in Quick & Simple. He is the host of the nationally syndicated radio program The Dave Ramsey Show and the TV program The Dave Ramsey Show on Fox Business Network. He’s also the best-selling author of The Total Money Makeover and Financial Peace Revisited.