Professional Investment Advisors Perth
Science has changed the world in so many ways. Our lives have been transformed by the real-world application of scientific research. In the world of finance, there have also been significant breakthroughs. Decades of research into the science of investing has yielded insightful and instructive answers to the critical question:
Investment Planning Services: What risks are worth taking?
Despite scientific answers, many people continue to take investment risks with a low probability of success. We are all wired to make decisions based on certain biases. While this wiring is necessary for us to go about our daily lives, these instincts can lead to poor decision making and result in a bad investment experience.
Common behavioural biases
Overconfidence – Whether it is driving a car or picking stocks, believing that we are better at it than most everyone else.
Self-attribution bias – We tend to want to take full credit for success but blame failure on outside influences.
Hindsight bias – Peaks and troughs seem obvious after the fact and we wonder why we did not see them coming.
Familiarity bias – Investing in what we are familiar with, giving a false sense of control over our investments.
Regret avoidance – The “once bitten, twice shy” instinct. When we experience pain, we have a tendency to avoid the behaviour that caused that pain.
Extrapolation – We rely too heavily on particular facts, ignoring other relevant information. If we have a bias and we find evidence to support it, we’re more likely to give weight to that data and ignore evidence to the contrary.
Investment is not a gamble. It is not a roll of the dice. It is a calculation of risk versus reward, but as human beings, we tend to muddy the clear waters of calculations. Check out the video below for some more information:
INVESTMENT ADVICE FROM HPH SOLUTIONS
In order to make good, informed decisions about which risks are worth taking in terms of your investment, these biases need to be understood and accounted for. This is where an experienced investment adviser can help you sift through your own biases and ensure you only take risks that are worthwhile and will serve your long-term interests. With quality, evidence-based investment services and advice, we can remove unnecessary risks and greatly reduce the problem of bias, maximising the probability and outcome for your investments.
Seeking the advice of an HPH financial planner will ensure you are making evidence-based investment decisions rather than being influenced by behavioural biases. Investment advice does not have to make your decisions for you, but rather guide you in good practice, and steer you away from any pitfalls you may have overlooked.
The HPH Solutions difference is that we are well aware of these biases, and we have developed a strategy to specifically counter those influences. We call this: Evidence-Based Investing.
| Behavioural biased Investing | Evidence-based Investing |
| Believes in successfully predicting when and how to trade based on breaking news. | Understands short-term market movements are unpredictable and remains focused on the signal, ignoring the noise. |
| Feels a sense of urgency to make the “right” calls to beat the market. | Recognises that time and patience is required for a plan to grow. |
| Acts on “expert” opinions (which are vulnerable to biases, blind spots and changeable conditions). | Guided by peer-reviewed academic inquiry, providing grounds for steady resolve. |
| Defines success as outperforming others or making a lot of money. | Success is defined as being able to comfortably fund personal financial goals. |
| Doesn’t distinguish between market risks (factors that are expected to yield extra returns) and concentrated risks (which just add more risk). | Manages market risk factors and their expected returns, diversifying away concentrated risks. |
| Focuses on cleverly timed trades over the costs and taxes being incurred. | Focuses on minimal trading, understanding that the costs involved are among the biggest drags on returns. |
| Tries to beat the market through clever stock-picking and market-timing. | Participates in the market to earn expected long-term returns according to time-tested academic evidence, personal goals and individual risk tolerances. |
Protect and grow your wealth with HPH Solutions
Our financial advisors in Perth help clients build strategies that grow their investment capabilities. Book an appointment with us by calling (08) 9200 3123 and let’s discuss your financial needs.
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