Do you think it’s possible to be too confident? Today at the New York Times, I review the potential issues we face when overconfidence is combined with investing. We’ve watched “experts” and “geniuses” make this mistake, so what are the odds that average investors (you and me) won’t face the same risk? Asking two questions before you make a financial decision can often mean the difference between success and failure.

How to Handle Your Investing Overconfidence (New York Times)

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At the New York Times, I discuss the danger of relying on a small sample size (our individual experience) to make financial decisions. Relying on our experience alone to make decisions is human, but it can lead to some serious investing mistakes. Just because something happened to you once doesn’t mean it will happen to you in the same way again.

Your Experience in Stocks is Probably Meaningless (New York Times)

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What Ladder are You Climbing @Morningstar

03.02.2010

We spend a lot of time thinking about money, but how well do you understand your motives for wanting more money? At Morningstar, I discuss the need to answer the question about where you want to go and why you want to be there when it comes to your investing decisions.
What Ladder are You Climbing [...]

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Why Balance is More Important than Returns—On Bucks Blog @NYTimes

02.22.2010

We’re all susceptible to the tension between planning for now and planning for the future. At the New York Times Bucks blog, I pose four questions that we can ask to help balance demands between the present and the future. The questions may be simple, but they’re far from easy.
Why Balance is More Important than [...]

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The Legacy of Louis—On Morningstar Advisor

02.22.2010

How many of you know that physical science theory plays a role in economics, a social science? At Morningstar this week, I review The Legacy of Louis, the man who proposed that radiation of probability and Brownian motion plays a role in modern portfolio theory. Does understanding Louis change how you’ll make decisions?
The Legacy of [...]

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The Case for Slow Money — On Bucks Blog @NYTimes

02.16.2010

At the New York Times Bucks blog, I revisit The Case for Slow Money. As I remind some of the commenters, don’t confuse slow and steady with buy and hold. There is value in being disciplined, “and as Nathan pointed out, starting early with whatever investment process you start with.”
The Case for [...]

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