Knowledge is power, and the basis of all knowledge is having the right data. Datapoints (or, data points, if you like) are the smallest form of data. Think of them like information atoms. Alone, they’re seemingly small and insignificant. But when you combine them, you can discover trends, uncover essential information, and better understand the world around you. These minuscule particles of information can be essential to learning about others and ourselves. Here’s what …
Where do you fit? Where do your services fit in the world of financial planning, investment management, and wealth advisory services? Are you a planner, an advisor, or an investment manager? Or all of the foregoing? The landscape of financial advisory services is evolving, and finding a descriptive and accurate category for your service and role is becoming more challenging. We’re having the same challenge here at DataPoints. We’re forging something of a new …
According to Dalbar’s 2015 Quantitative Analysis of Investor Behavior (QAIB), the worst gap between market and investor performance in the past 30 years was in October 2008 when, as the report states, the S&P 500 index lost 16.8% but investors lost a little over 24%. There are, of course, many psychological factors that explain the disparity: behavioral finance biases that model why investors act irrationally. However, to be able to anticipate this behavior, and …
A data point is a measurement or set of measurements of a single member of a particular population. For the financial services industry, client data typically include age, income, net worth, investable assets, risk tolerance, attitudes, and perhaps big data (with or without theory). This information is traditionally used to describe wealth groups (e.g., mass affluent, ultra high net worth) and determine relevant products and services. What’s missing? The scientific measurement of relevant wealth-building behaviors and life experiences …