I would never mix business with friendship in such a manner if I felt the least bit reluctant to do so. When it comes to your money, you probably have a pretty good instinct about what you want, and what makes you uncomfortable. The fact that you are reluctant to sit through what may turn out to be a high pressure and awkward sales meeting is proof that you have reservations about putting something this important in the hands of an inexperienced newcomer, no matter how good the friendship may be. You are probably also concerned that you might be tempted to do something unwise or something you would regret, when faced with pressure.

Over the years, I've had four or five friends ask me to invest everything I have in their fool proof investment methods. The future of my retirement and my family is worth more to me than any hurt feelings they might have.

I would say this to your friend: "While I very interested in remaining friends with you, I am not interested in having you handle my money at this time. As your friend I am of course interested in your career and how you are doing, and if at some point in the future my opinion on the matter changes, I will let you know and I hope that at that time, you will still be interested in handling my finances."

Be prepared to hold firm to your decision. Many sales training courses require that the salesman's job is to break down your resistance. It is a particularly distasteful behavior and leads to a high rate of buyer's remorse. Continue to say no.