Risk literacy and market success.
I started investing when I was completing my PhD dissertation on new mathematics for decision making under uncertainty, and I figured that I could apply my smarts to the stock market and clean up. Instead of cleaning up, I was nearly cleaned out. I did, however, discover something of immense value during that process: There’s a big difference between the theory of risk and the reality of risk.
Since that humbling introduction to investing, I’ve spent the last two decades building on what I learned so I can help myself and tens of thousands of other investors leverage technology and behavioral finance to make consistently better investment decisions. The definition of a better investment decision is when you make more money AND take less risk.
That brings me to today. My work helping independent investors is moving full speed ahead. And I’m more committed than ever to building next-generation financial technology and providing great education for independent-minded individuals who are committed to succeeding on their own.
The digital marketplace.
Today there’s a new application of my life’s work that has become increasingly urgent. It’s based on the belief that risk literacy is essential not only for independent investors; it’s essential for anyone looking to succeed in today’s exploding digital marketplaces.
People who invest on their own know that the biggest challenge is one’s own heart and mind, and many times it’s driven by the fear of missing out. Instead of relying on a thoughtful risk management strategy, we often succumb to feelings and images that have little to do with reality and can negatively impact our decision making. In what has become a media-driven world, media and tech interact with our thoughts and feelings—especially when it comes to money. Too often, we respond based on our emotions rather than the actual mathematical expectations. Unfortunately, more knowledgeable market participants capitalize on this disconnect between what’s on our mind and the actual likelihood of something happening.
Sadly, we’re worth more to digital media companies when we’re fearful, anxious, and risk-illiterate. I don’t see that as an acceptable way to live. If it’s not your cup of tea either, then stick around, and let’s master the game together. We can turn the tables on the risk literati by beating them at their own game.
Full speed ahead.
Today I’m on a mission to make smart investing strategies in the financial markets available to everyone. For most of my life, I’ve been studying mathematics and technology and how they can be used to help people make better decisions. I draw on my education in mathematics and systems science to help individual investors understand the market and embrace a risk-savvy mindset. I empower them with the tools and knowledge they need to form new habits and realize better outcomes.
As an expert in quantitative uncertainty, I can help you regain control of your money and build wealth by helping you:
The bigger picture: Risk literacy for life.
My approach to embracing risk literacy is applicable beyond investing in the stock market. It also has tremendous implications for living a good, humane life. In today’s attention extraction economy, power is increasingly consolidated in massive corporations and governments, leaving people at a disadvantage. I want to help people change the way they approach life and reshape technology in a way that supports human creativity and relationships.
Social media, for example, has more in common with investing than you might think. When people invest in the financial markets, money is the capital. But when people use social media, their attention is their capital. Deciding what to give your attention to is a form of capital allocation, and there are lessons to be learned here from time-tested principles of successful investing.
A closer look.
For more than 20 years, I’ve helped investors understand risk and uncertainty in the stock market. In doing so, I earned the moniker Doctor of Uncertainty. As a well-known expert on risk management, behavioral finance, and fintech, I leverage historical stock market data and time-tested philosophies to level the playing field for individual investors.
In 2003, I launched my first finance-focused website. Two years later, I developed my first financial technology platform which grew to more than 30,000 subscribers trusting more than $20 billion of their own assets to my service.
Today, I draw on my education in mathematics and systems science, combined with years of investing and trading experience, to help investors better understand the market and manage risk. Simply put, I empower individual investors—regardless of age, experience, or income—to avoid the irrational behavior that drives most buy-and-sell decisions. In the end, this allows them to make their own strategic investment decisions, along with giving them the confidence and the tools to become successful investors.
Here are a few more things to know about me:
I studied mathematics at UC Berkeley and earned a PhD in systems science from the Watson School of Engineering at SUNY Binghamton, under the late Professor George Klir.
I serve as chairman of the board and executive director of the Foundation for the Study of Cycles, an international not-for-profit that promotes and conducts research on cycles and how they can be used to make the world a better place.
I’m a regular columnist, commentator, and featured guest on several financial media outlets, such as CNN, BBC News, MarketWatch, Forbes, NASDAQ.com, and The Ric Edelman Show.
Read about my recent
endeavors and appearances
Learn about my
new book,
The Risk Manifesto
