The Behavior Gap

"It's not that we're dumb. We're wired to avoid pain and pursue pleasure and security. It feels right to sell when everyone around us is scared and buy when everyone feels great. It may feel right-but it's not rational." -From The Behavior Gap Why do we lose money? It's easy to blame the economy or the financial markets-but the real trouble lies in the decisions we make. As a financial planner, Carl Richards grew frustrated watching people he cared about make the same mistakes over and over. They were letting emotion get in the way of smart financial decisions. He named this phenomenon-the distance between what we should do and what we actually do-"the behavior gap." Using simple drawings to explain the gap, he found that once people understood it, they started doing much better. Richards's way with words and images has attracted a loyal following to his blog posts for The New York Times, appearances on National Public Radio, and his columns and lectures. His book will teach you how to rethink all kinds of situations where your perfectly natural instincts (for safety or success) can cost you money and peace of mind. He'll help you to: • Avoid the tendency to buy high and sell low; • Avoid the pitfalls of generic financial advice; • Invest all of your assets-time and energy as well as savings-more wisely; • Quit spending money and time on things that don't matter; • Identify your real financial goals; • Start meaningful conversations about money; • Simplify your financial life; • Stop losing money! It's never too late to make a fresh financial start. As Richards writes: "We've all made mistakes, but now it's time to give yourself permission to review those mistakes, identify your personal behavior gaps, and make a plan to avoid them in the future. The goal isn't to make the 'perfect' decision about money every time, but to do the best we can and move forward. Most of the time, that's enough."

"It's not that we're dumb. We're wired to avoid pain and pursue pleasure and security. It feels right to sell when everyone around us is scared and buy when everyone feels great. It may feel right-but it's not rational." -From The Behavior Gap Why do we lose money? It's easy to blame the economy or the financial markets-but the real trouble lies in the decisions we make. As a financial planner, Carl Richards grew frustrated watching people he cared about make the same mistakes over and over. They were letting emotion get in the way of smart financial decisions. He named this phenomenon-the distance between what we should do and what we actually do-"the behavior gap." Using simple drawings to explain the gap, he found that once people understood it, they started doing much better. Richards's way with words and images has attracted a loyal following to his blog posts for The New York Times, appearances on National Public Radio, and his columns and lectures. His book will teach you how to rethink all kinds of situations where your perfectly natural instincts (for safety or success) can cost you money and peace of mind. He'll help you to: • Avoid the tendency to buy high and sell low; • Avoid the pitfalls of generic financial advice; • Invest all of your assets-time and energy as well as savings-more wisely; • Quit spending money and time on things that don't matter; • Identify your real financial goals; • Start meaningful conversations about money; • Simplify your financial life; • Stop losing money! It's never too late to make a fresh financial start. As Richards writes: "We've all made mistakes, but now it's time to give yourself permission to review those mistakes, identify your personal behavior gaps, and make a plan to avoid them in the future. The goal isn't to make the 'perfect' decision about money every time, but to do the best we can and move forward. Most of the time, that's enough."

Intends to remove the complexity from investing by encouraging readers to identify deeply personal goals and to use a series of steps to help set up and attain a workable, meaningful financial plan.

The world of investing normally sees experts telling us the 'right' way to manage our money. How often do these experts pull back the curtain and tell us how they invest their own money? Never. How I Invest My Money changes that. In this unprecedented collection, 25 financial experts share how they navigate markets with their own capital. In this honest rendering of how they invest, save, spend, give, and borrow, this group of portfolio managers, financial advisors, venture capitalists and other experts detail the 'how' and the 'why' of their investments. They share stories about their childhood, their families, the struggles they face and the aspirations they hold. Sometimes raw, always revealing, these stories detail the indelible relationship between our money and our values. Taken as a whole, these essays powerfully demonstrate that there is no single 'right' way to save, spend, and invest. We see a kaleidoscope of perspectives on stocks, bonds, real assets, funds, charity, and other means of achieving the life one desires. With engaging illustrations throughout by Carl Richards, How I Invest My Money inspires readers to think creatively about their financial decisions and how money figures in the broader quest for a contented life. With contributions from: Morgan Housel, Christine Benz, Brian Portnoy, Joshua Brown, Bob Seawright, Carolyn McClanahan, Tyrone Ross, Dasarte Yarnway, Nina O'Neal, Debbie Freeman, Shirl Penney, Ted Seides, Ashby Daniels, Blair duQuesnay, Leighann Miko, Perth Tolle, Josh Rogers, Jenny Harrington, Mike Underhill, Dan Egan, Howard Lindzon, Ryan Krueger, Lazetta Rainey Braxton, Rita Cheng, Alex Chalekian

The market for business knowledge is booming as companies looking to improve their performance pour millions of pounds into training programmes, consultants, and executive education. Why then, are there so many gaps between what firms know they should do and waht they actual do? This volume confronts the challenge of turning knowledge about how to improve performance into actions that produce measurable results. The authors identify the causes of this gap and explain how to close it.

Foreword By Morgan Housel Psychology and the Secret to Investing Success In The Laws of Wealth, psychologist and behavioral finance expert Daniel Crosby offers an accessible and applied take on a discipline that has long tended toward theory at the expense of the practical. Readers are treated to real, actionable guidance as the promise of behavioral finance is realized and practical applications for everyday investors are delivered. Crosby presents a framework of timeless principles for managing your behavior and your investing process. He begins by outlining 10 rules that are the hallmarks of good investor behavior, including ‘Forecasting is for Weathermen’ and ‘If You’re Excited, It’s Probably a Bad Idea’. He then goes on to introduce a unique new classification of behavioral investment risk that will enable investors and academics alike to understand behavioral risk in a coherent and comprehensive manner. The Laws of Wealth is a finance classic and a must-read for those interested in deepening their understanding of how psychology impacts financial decision-making. “Should be read by all those new to investing.” JIM O'SHAUGHNESSY, International Bestselling Author “Don’t let your mind ruin your investing outcomes.” LOUANN LOFTON, The Motley Fool “Step away from CNBC and into financial therapy!” MEREDITH A. JONES, Author, Women of The Street

Bedrock investing principles for profiting in today’s shaky markets If you wanted to create the next earth-shattering consumer product, Steve Jobs would be an ideal role model to follow. If you planned to become a great golfer, you might look to Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus. So, if your goals were to outperform other investors and achieve your life’s financial goals, what should you do? Think, act and invest like the best investor out there: Warren Buffett. While you can’t invest exactly like he does, Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett provides a solid, sensible investing approach based on Buffett’s advice regarding investment strategies. When it comes to investing, Director of Research for the BAM Alliance and CBS News blogger Larry Swedroe has pretty much seen it all—and he’s come to the conclusion that simple is better, that adopting basic investing principles always increases an investor’s chance of success and that Buffett is the perfect model for such investing. In Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett, Swedroe provides the foundational knowledge you need to: Develop a financial plan to help you make rational decisions on a consistent basis Determine the level of risk that’s right for you and allocate your assets accordingly Create a strong portfolio that will weather any economic storm Manage your portfolio—rebalance periodically to maintain proper risk levels The beauty of the Buffett approach is its profound simplicity: follow the basics, keep your cool, and have a sense of humor. The market volatility of recent years has ushered in armies of economists, forecasters and other so-called experts whose job it is to explain how everything works. Somehow, they have managed to muddy the waters even more. The truth is, investing is easier than you think—even in today’s economy. “Complex problems can have simple solutions,” Swedroe writes. Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett helps you go back to the basics—so you can leap in front of the investing pack. Praise for Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett: “You could not spend a more profitable hour than reading Larry Swedroe’s wise and lucid investment guide.” —Burton Malkiel, author, A Random Walk Down Wall Street “If you've been wondering why you've had such a hard time investing well, Playing the Winner's Game will diagnose your ills and treat them in just ninety short, delightful pages.” —William Bernstein, author, A Splendid Exchange and The Investor’s Manifesto “Follow the investment strategy advocated by Larry Swedroe, and free yourself to spend your time on life's treasures—like your family and friends!” —William Reichenstein, professor, Baylor University “As someone who teaches a college investments course, I would not have thought it possible to do what Swedroe has done in such a short concise book.” —Edward R. Wolfe, professor of finance, Western Kentucky University “It's amazing. Larry Swedroe managed to pen a magnificent book not only chock full of actionable advice, but one that's fun to read. Get a copy and treat yourself to a better financial future.” —Harold Evensky, president, Evensky & Katz “Larry Swedroe is the undisputed expert in helping investors manage portfolios the smart way. His new book, Playing the Winner’s Game, combines all facets of wealth management in an inspiring and powerful manner.” —Bill Schultheis, author, The New Coffeehouse Investor

Every organization is fundamentally in the business of behavior change, whether it be a government trying to get a business to comply with environmental regulations, a business persuading its customers to be loyal to its products, or a financial institution encouraging a client to start saving for retirement. Behavior change is critical to organizational success, but despite its centrality to organizations, we do not have a good understanding of how organizations can successfully employ insights from behavioral science in their operations. To address this gap, this book develops an overarching framework for using behavioral science. It shows how behavioral insights (BI) can be embedded in organizations to achieve better outcomes, improve the efficiency of processes, and maximize stakeholder engagement. This edited volume provides an enterprise-wide strategic perspective on how governments, businesses, and other organizations have embedded BI into their operations. Contributions by academics and practitioners from the Behaviourally Informed Organizations partnership highlight pragmatic frameworks and prescriptive outcomes via illustrative case studies. Featuring a foreword by Cass R. Sunstein, this book investigates key findings from BI, with an eye toward how it can be used to solve problems and seize opportunities in diverse organizations.