What's Affecting Your Decision Making | Neil Parikh

Behavioral Finance & Investment Biases - The speaker argues that people are inherently lazy and greedy, leading to a desire for instant gratification, which negatively impacts investment decisions [1][3] - The financial industry is affected by people's sentiments and behaviors, which are formed by habits [6] - Speculation is increasing among all generations due to impatience and the need for instant gratification, with a large percentage of exchange volumes being futures and options [5] - Good investment habits include regular saving, investing, and sticking to a financial plan with disciplined asset allocation [6][7] - Bad investment habits include buying based on tips, following social media influencers blindly, and deviating from a financial plan due to short-term gains [8] Investment Risks & Cognitive Biases - Greed, exemplified by over-allocation to small-cap stocks, can lead to excessive risk-taking and significant losses [9][10] - Fear of missing out (FOMO) drives people to invest in already high-priced assets, reducing the risk-to-reward ratio [10][12] - Overconfidence, fueled by market rallies, can lead to abandoning studies or jobs for speculative trading, which is a dangerous trend [13][14] - Availability bias can lead to making decisions based on recent, frequent, and extreme information, rather than a comprehensive view [17][18] - Confirmation bias leads investors to seek out opinions and information that confirm their existing beliefs, ignoring contradictory information [19][20][21] - Herd mentality can lead to scams and inflated prices, making it crucial to be a contrarian investor [23][24] - Anchoring bias, where investors fixate on their purchase price, can prevent them from selling losing investments and missing out on better opportunities [26][27] - Endowment bias, where people overvalue what they own, can hinder rational decision-making about assets [28][30] Overcoming Biases & Improving Investment Decisions - Understanding and overcoming biases is crucial for making better decisions and becoming a successful investor [15][16] - The speaker advises to control urges, delay instant gratification, and be aware of personal biases [31]