In his “Intelligent Investor” column in the September 7, 2019 print edition of the Wall Street Journal, Jason Zweig wrote about an idea that we’ve thought about a good deal in the recent past: the fact that not all risk tolerance assessments are created equal. In the piece, Mr. Zweig—himself an accomplished and noted author regarding topics related to the intersection of money and our brains—takes specific aim at what some have referred to …
In a Wall Street Journal article this week, the perils of debt-supported spending by Chinese Gen Z-ers and millennials were contrasted with the potential benefits of a hyper-charged consumer economy. The upshot from a macro-economic perspective is that while some amount of borrowing can be good for an economy (leading to job creation and more productivity), it can also lead to unhealthy levels of household debt, which in turn can lead to an overall …
One of the main missions of DataPoints is to help individuals improve the way in which they manage their financial lives using behavioral science. This mission has two important components: first, we have to understand our own patterns of money-related behaviors, personality, attitudes, and other characteristics as a starting point (our financial psychology). Then, if we have the desire to change our financial trajectory, we have to modify the way in which we save, …
We recently met with Bill Winterberg from FPPad to demonstrate the DataPoints platform for advisors and chat about financial planning, what keeps all of us from succeeding in meeting our goals, and how behavioral science can help us improve our financial decisions. In this video, you’ll see how behavioral assessments can identify key wealth factors and how a framework for talking about financial decisions allows for better conversations and guidance. Watch the demo here, …
As we approach Thanksgiving in the United States, the bustle of life may seem to be slowing. That calm, however, is underscored by the advertising and enticements of retailers hoping to move into the black side of the ledger for the year on the day after the holiday of gratitude. Otherwise known as Black Friday. Indeed so many of us will go shopping on that day that it will almost appear that everyone is …

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