If you've felt besieged by the barrage of post-Telecom flotation advertising, be grateful you're not in the US where one financial services company has hit on a new twist to promote its products.

The Los Angeles-based giant SunAmerica is paying Jon Provost, the actor who played Timmy in the long-running Lassie TV series, and two other one-time child stars to join the talk-show circuit, chronicling how bad financial planning led them to squander their Hollywood fortunes.

At the end of the spiels, talk-show hosts will be encouraged to mention a toll-free telephone number that consumers can call to order a free SunAmerica brochure.

The former child stars aren't directly identified as paid spokespeople. Rather, talk-show fans will be told that the actors are making a national tour, sponsored by SunAmerica, that urges Americans to save for retirement.

SunAmerica is betting that the ageing but familiar faces will appeal to baby boomers tackling retirement planning.

You have been warned.