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This article is one in a series that examines the meaning behind the saying - highly relevant in investment circles - that 'if something sounds too good to be true, it is'.
Women are better investors than men. That, at least, is what some studies convincingly show: for evidence, look up the reports in Forbes, the Financial Times (UK), Warwick Business School and Hargreaves Lansdown.
Successful investing is about more than achieving gains. To quote the late Philip Arthur Fisher (doyen of investing for many decades): “The true investment objective of growth is not just to make gains, but to avoid losses.”
As it applies to investing, a strong dose of aptitude is essential if good results are to be expected. For many, unfortunately, investing is more about speculation than serious observation. Therein lies a dilemma: speculation involves guesswork, observation demands homework.
We present five short illustrations of behavioural biases that can be very damaging to your wealth. The psychology that drives behavioural finance is one of the most rapidly developing scientific fields of research in the area of investing. We have explored the academic papers produced by leaders in this field, both past and present. We have tried to make these vignettes both interesting and entertaining. We hope you enjoy what you are about to read … and urge you to apply what you learn in both your investment and other important aspects of life.