I learnt my lesson about 35 years ago when I bought into a stock...

I learnt my lesson about 35 years ago when I bought into a stock recommended by my broker.

The company was River House and they were threatening to make boxes from straw or something equally sustainable. Sounded like a good idea but they were shysters. Think at least one hailed from Ariadne. Broker's name was Isabelle.

Needless to say I never took an expert's advice from that point. The important lessons really stick even if it only was a few hundred dollars down the drain.