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Comparison website Moneysupermarket.com conducted an experiment in London and Manchester where it offered free £5 notes to members of the public. The minor catch, as the billboard work by the protagonist proclaimed, was the lucky recipients of the notes had to ask for it first.
Despite encountering more than 1,800 people, only 28 passers-by actually plucked up the courage to ask for a fiver.
Men were the most assertive when it came to claiming the cash, with all but seven of the recipients being male.
Tim Moss, head of loans and debt at the website, commented: "This exercise reveals a fundamental inertia which is stopping people from making sensible financial decisions."
Among the reasons preventing people from being financially pro-active are cynicism and embarrassment.
Attending a free trading seminar with the Trader's University could prove a positive financial step.
