Why Do Bad Investments Happen to Smart People?

Why Do Bad Investments Happen to Smart People?

Author: Joseph D. Schulman

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2007-11-27

Total Pages: 114

ISBN-13: 1425772390

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Why do so many smart professional people make bad investments? Why do they often fail to accumulate significant wealth and sometimes make truly disastrous financial decisions? This book offers some answers to these questions. It then provides specific recommendations to help doctors, lawyers, scientists, teachers, and many other intelligent people avoid serious financial errors and achieve superior investment results. Sensible self-directed investing with long-term compounding of returns and avoidance of all unnecessary fees can produce remarkable accumulations of capital with limited risk. You can choose to be successful as a largely passive investor or as one more seriously involved in making individual investment decisions. This book tells you how to do it. Buying this short volume and then putting its advice into practice may become the most important financial decisions you have ever made. About the author - Joseph D. Schulman is an internationally known physician, medical research scientist, and biomedical entrepreneur. He is also a successful investor. Dr. Schulman is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and of the Executive M. B. A. (OPM) program at Harvard Business School. He lives with his wife, Dixie, in Oxford, MD and Palm Springs, CA.


Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes and How to Correct Them

Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes and How to Correct Them

Author: Gary Belsky

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2010-01-12

Total Pages: 343

ISBN-13: 1439169748

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Protect and grow your finances with help from this definitive and practical guide to behavioral economics—revised and updated to reflect new economic realities. In their fascinating investigation of the ways we handle money, Gary Belsky and Thomas Gilovich reveal the psychological forces—the patterns of thinking and decision making—behind seemingly irrational behavior. They explain why so many otherwise savvy people make foolish financial choices: why investors are too quick to sell winning stocks and too slow to sell losing shares, why home sellers leave money on the table and home buyers don’t get the biggest bang for their buck, why borrowers pay too much credit card interest and savers can’t sock away as much as they’d like, and why so many of us can’t control our spending. Focusing on the decisions we make every day, Belsky and Gilovich provide invaluable guidance for avoiding the financial faux pas that can cost thousands of dollars each year. Filled with fresh insight; practical advice; and lively, illustrative anecdotes, this book gives you the tools you need to harness the powerful science of behavioral economics in any financial environment.


Strong Towns

Strong Towns

Author: Charles L. Marohn, Jr.

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2019-10-01

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13: 1119564816

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A new way forward for sustainable quality of life in cities of all sizes Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Build American Prosperity is a book of forward-thinking ideas that breaks with modern wisdom to present a new vision of urban development in the United States. Presenting the foundational ideas of the Strong Towns movement he co-founded, Charles Marohn explains why cities of all sizes continue to struggle to meet their basic needs, and reveals the new paradigm that can solve this longstanding problem. Inside, you’ll learn why inducing growth and development has been the conventional response to urban financial struggles—and why it just doesn’t work. New development and high-risk investing don’t generate enough wealth to support itself, and cities continue to struggle. Read this book to find out how cities large and small can focus on bottom-up investments to minimize risk and maximize their ability to strengthen the community financially and improve citizens’ quality of life. Develop in-depth knowledge of the underlying logic behind the “traditional” search for never-ending urban growth Learn practical solutions for ameliorating financial struggles through low-risk investment and a grassroots focus Gain insights and tools that can stop the vicious cycle of budget shortfalls and unexpected downturns Become a part of the Strong Towns revolution by shifting the focus away from top-down growth toward rebuilding American prosperity Strong Towns acknowledges that there is a problem with the American approach to growth and shows community leaders a new way forward. The Strong Towns response is a revolution in how we assemble the places we live.


Big Mistakes

Big Mistakes

Author: Michael Batnick

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2018-05-22

Total Pages: 141

ISBN-13: 1119366410

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A Must-Read for Any Investor Looking to Maximize Their Chances of Success Big Mistakes: The Best Investors and Their Worst Investments explores the ways in which the biggest names have failed, and reveals the lessons learned that shaped more successful strategies going forward. Investing can be a rollercoaster of highs and lows, and the investors detailed here show just how low it can go; stories from Warren Buffet, Bill Ackman, Chris Sacca, Jack Bogle, Mark Twain, John Maynard Keynes, and many more illustrate the simple but overlooked concept that investing is really hard, whether you're managing a few thousand dollars or a few billion, failures and losses are part of the game. Much more than just anecdotal diversion, these stories set the basis for the book's critical focus: learning from mistakes. These investors all recovered from their missteps, and moved forward armed with a wealth of knowledge than can only come from experience. Lessons learned through failure carry a weight that no textbook can convey, and in the case of these legendary investors, informed a set of skills and strategy that propelled them to the top. Research-heavy and grounded in realism, this book is a must-read for any investor looking to maximize their chances of success. Learn the most common ways even successful investors fail Learn from the mistakes of the greats to avoid losing ground Anticipate challenges and obstacles, and develop an advance plan Exercise caution when warranted, and only take the smart risks While learning from your mistakes is always a valuable experience, learning from the mistakes of others gives you the benefit of wisdom without the consequences of experience. Big Mistakes: The Best Investors and Their Worst Investments provides an incomparable, invaluable resource for investors of all stripes.


Gender before Birth

Gender before Birth

Author: Rajani Bhatia

Publisher: University of Washington Press

Published: 2018-02-01

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 0295742941

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In the mid-1990s, the international community pronounced prenatal sex selection via abortion an “act of violence against women” and “unethical.” At the same time, new developments in reproductive technology in the United States led to a method of sex selection before conception; its US inventor marketed the practice as “family balancing” and defended it with the rhetoric of freedom of choice. In Gender before Birth, Rajani Bhatia takes on the double standard of how similar practices in the West and non-West are divergently named and framed. Bhatia’s extensive fieldwork includes interviews with clinicians, scientists, biomedical service providers, and feminist activists, and her resulting analysis extends both feminist theory on reproduction and feminist science and technology studies. She argues that we are at the beginning of a changing transnational terrain that presents new challenges to theorized inequality in reproduction, demonstrating how the technosciences often get embroiled in colonial gender and racial politics.


A Wealth of Common Sense

A Wealth of Common Sense

Author: Ben Carlson

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2015-06-22

Total Pages: 231

ISBN-13: 1119024927

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A simple guide to a smarter strategy for the individual investor A Wealth of Common Sense sheds a refreshing light on investing, and shows you how a simplicity-based framework can lead to better investment decisions. The financial market is a complex system, but that doesn't mean it requires a complex strategy; in fact, this false premise is the driving force behind many investors' market "mistakes." Information is important, but understanding and perspective are the keys to better decision-making. This book describes the proper way to view the markets and your portfolio, and show you the simple strategies that make investing more profitable, less confusing, and less time-consuming. Without the burden of short-term performance benchmarks, individual investors have the advantage of focusing on the long view, and the freedom to construct the kind of portfolio that will serve their investment goals best. This book proves how complex strategies essentially waste these advantages, and provides an alternative game plan for those ready to simplify. Complexity is often used as a mechanism for talking investors into unnecessary purchases, when all most need is a deeper understanding of conventional options. This book explains which issues you actually should pay attention to, and which ones are simply used for an illusion of intelligence and control. Keep up with—or beat—professional money managers Exploit stock market volatility to your utmost advantage Learn where advisors and consultants fit into smart strategy Build a portfolio that makes sense for your particular situation You don't have to outsmart the market if you can simply outperform it. Cut through the confusion and noise and focus on what actually matters. A Wealth of Common Sense clears the air, and gives you the insight you need to become a smarter, more successful investor.


The Dumb Things Smart People Do with Their Money

The Dumb Things Smart People Do with Their Money

Author: Jill Schlesinger

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Published: 2020-02-04

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 0525622187

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You’re smart. So don’t be dumb about money. Pinpoint your biggest money blind spots and take control of your finances with these tools from CBS News Business Analyst and host of the nationally syndicated radio show Jill on Money, Jill Schlesinger. “A must-read . . . This straightforward and pleasingly opinionated book may persuade more of us to think about financial planning.”—Financial Times Hey you . . . you saw the title. You get the deal. You’re smart. You’ve made a few dollars. You’ve done what the financial books and websites tell you to do. So why isn’t it working? Maybe emotions and expectations are getting in the way of good sense—or you’re paying attention to the wrong people. If you’ve started counting your lattes, for god’s sake, just stop. Read this book instead. After decades of working as a Wall Street trader, investment adviser, and money expert for CBS News, Jill Schlesinger reveals thirteen costly mistakes you may be making right now with your money. Drawing on personal stories and a hefty dose of humor, Schlesinger argues that even the brightest people can behave like financial dumb-asses because of emotional blind spots. So if you’ve saved for college for your kids before saving for retirement, or you’ve avoided drafting a will, this is the book for you. By following Schlesinger’s rules about retirement, college financing, insurance, real estate, and more, you can save money and avoid countless sleepless nights. It could be the smartest investment you make all year. Praise for The Dumb Things Smart People Do with Their Money “Common sense is not always common, especially when it comes to managing your money. Consider Jill Schlesinger’s book your guide to all the things you should know about money but were never taught. After reading it, you’ll be smarter, wiser, and maybe even wealthier.”—Chris Guillebeau, author of Side Hustle and The $100 Startup “A must-read, whether you’re digging yourself out of a financial hole or stacking up savings for the future, The Dumb Things Smart People Do with Their Money is a personal finance gold mine loaded with smart financial nuggets delivered in Schlesinger’s straight-talking, judgment-free style.”—Beth Kobliner, author of Make Your Kid a Money Genius (Even If You’re Not) and Get a Financial Life


The Education of a Value Investor

The Education of a Value Investor

Author: Guy Spier

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Published: 2014-09-09

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1137471247

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What happens when a young Wall Street investment banker spends a small fortune to have lunch with Warren Buffett? He becomes a real value investor. In this fascinating inside story, Guy Spier details his career from Harvard MBA to hedge fund manager. But the path was not so straightforward. Spier reveals his transformation from a Gordon Gekko wannabe, driven by greed, to a sophisticated investor who enjoys success without selling his soul to the highest bidder. Spier's journey is similar to the thousands that flock to Wall Street every year with their shiny new diplomas, aiming to be King of Wall Street. Yet what Guy realized just in the nick of time was that the King really lived 1,500 miles away in Omaha, Nebraska. Spier determinedly set out to create a new career in his own way. Along the way he learned some powerful lessons which include: Spier also reveals some of his own winning investment strategies, detailing deals that were winners but also what he learned from deals that went south. Part memoir, part Wall Street advice, and part how-to, Guy Spier takes readers on a ride through Wall Street--but, more importantly, provides those that want to take a different path with the insight, guidance, and inspiration they need to carve out their own definition of success.


Income And Wealth From Self-Directed Investing

Income And Wealth From Self-Directed Investing

Author: Ian Duncan MacDonald

Publisher:

Published: 2019-09-17

Total Pages: 330

ISBN-13: 9781999198008

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In 2001, after an investment adviser lost $300,000 of Ian MacDonald`s money, he took what was left and self-managed it. His investment objective was to build a stock scoring program that would give him an annual dividend income worth 6% of his portfolio, while increasing the value of that portfolio every year by about 9% (his background was in building commercial risk scoring computer programs for the banks and other businesses). He succeeded in his objective. While he had developed that stock scoring program for his own use, in 2019 he used it to help an elderly lady who had suffered a catastrophic financial loss, due to am investment adviser`s greed. After much of her loss had been recovered and her monthly income had doubled, she told Ian MacDonald that he needed to write a book to help people like her who knew little about investing and could easily be taken advantage of . He wrote that book. It is called, "Income and Wealth from Self-Directed Investing".He includes that PC stock scoring program with his 300 page book. To further help investors, in the last 100 pages of the book, are charts listing all the companies traded on the TSX that pay a dividend of 3.5% or more. Four sorts of the data in these charts is provided: by score, stock price, dividend percent and by company name. The data sorts make it easy and fast to identify and weigh which stocks are the best ones to add to your portfolio. Like the elderly widow, there are many who fear that they will outlive their life savings? They feel forced to use investment advisers because no one has shown them how to invest safely. Ian MacDonald`s book takes away the fear of investing by explaining, the following in easy to understand language: (1) The danger of entrusting your money to an investment adviser whose fees and hidden agenda could drain your savings.(2) Why investing in dividend paying common stock is the safest way for you to invest, as compared to bonds, mutual funds, etc. (3) How to open an online self-directed stock trading account without having to involve bank employees.(4) How to easily find for your portfolio the best twenty stocks for capital gain and the highest dividends.(5) How to find and sort potential stock purchases from best to worse, so you can pick the twenty best and safest.(6) How to verify that stocks have no harmful information attached to them that could potentially be a problem if purchased.(7) How to purchase a stock you have carefully chosen, in less than five minutes.(8) How to quickly and easily monitor your purchased stocks on a daily, monthly and quarterly basis.The stock market is not a casino and what Ian MacDonald teaches is not a get rich quick scheme. It is a logical, easy to understand method of investing. Since implementing his scoring system, his portfolio has grown by 300% while generating a steady ever growing retirement income. He thinks every investor should now know exactly what they are invested in and understand why they are invested in it. Through booming times and recessions there is no reason your self-directed portfolio can not generate a reliable monthly income and grow year-after-year.