Learn to Sidestep Common Investor Hurdles to Keep Your Portfolio Strong
Navigating the financial markets effectively involves understanding not only the basics of investment but also recognizing common investor psychology pitfalls. It’s crucial for investors to become aware of these cognitive biases and emotional reactions that can lead to poor decision-making. Whether it’s chasing after high returns based on past performance or making hasty decisions during market downturns, being mindful of these pitfalls can help investors maintain a more disciplined approach to their investment strategies. By staying informed and vigilant about these psychological traps, investors can better manage their portfolios and avoid common mistakes that could impact their long-term financial goals.
Investor Psychology: Understanding the Basics
Think of it like this: numbers are the what, and behavioral finance is the why. It seeks to explain common investor psychology phenomena like relying on hunches instead of facts or making risky investment decisions.
Here are a few common examples:
Pitfall 1: Anchoring
An anchor serves to hold you steady, and the concept of the “anchoring trap” functions similarly in the realm of financial decision-making. It captures the human tendency to cling to initial beliefs. For instance, if you have had a positive experience with a certain company, you might maintain an optimistic view about its profitability. This may be among the most common investor psychology pitfalls, and this inherent human bias could lead you to overestimate the value of its stock as an investment.
Consider the case of Radio Shack, once a giant in the electronics retail industry during the 1980s and 90s. Despite its early success, the rise of online shopping heralded a sharp decline for the company, which saw its store count drop from 7,300 to just 70 by 2017. Investors who were caught in the anchoring trap might have continued to hold on to their stocks, based on their past positive evaluations, despite the company’s evident struggles.
To steer clear of falling into this trap of investor psychology, it is crucial to remain adaptable and receptive to new information. Embracing the perspective that change is the only constant can be beneficial. By keeping these ideas in mind, you can navigate through shifts more astutely and avoid common investment errors.
SEE ALSO: Do You Know Your Investor Personality Type?
Pitfall 2: Sunk Cost
You might be familiar with the term “sunk cost fallacy,” which describes how investors often defend their past investment decisions. This fallacy arises from a reluctance to acknowledge that past decisions—either made personally or by others on your behalf—may have been missteps. After all, no one likes to be wrong! However, this can lead individuals to continue investing in a losing proposition, often to their detriment. Generally, it’s beneficial to recognize a poor decision early and disengage from it as quickly as possible to minimize further losses.
Pitfall 3: Confirmation
The confirmation trap is a phenomenon rooted in financial psychology, closely related to the broader concept of confirmation bias. This bias involves actively seeking out opinions that align with your own. In the context of investing, individuals often surround themselves with others who share similar investment strategies or mistakes. This psychological comfort makes them feel validated and secure in their choices, even if those decisions may not be advantageous.
Be warned: if you hear yourself saying something like, “This stock just dipped 20%, but it’s probably best to buy more just in case,” then you’re in the midst of a confirmation trap. The best way to dig yourself out is to take a step back and seek out fresh perspectives and unbiased information.
Pitfall 4: Blindness
Have you ever avoided confronting reality because it felt easier to just not see what was unfolding? This avoidance is known as the blindness trap, a significant issue in the realm of investor psychology pitfalls. If you find yourself ignoring market movements to delay dealing with undesirable outcomes or to evade decision-making, you’re likely not doing your investments any favors.
The blindness trap is a potent force and quite prevalent among investors. From the perspective of investor psychology pitfalls, its impact grows as the stakes get higher. For example, if you notice glaring issues with an investment, such as major red flags or company scandals, yet feel paralyzed to make a decision, delaying the inevitable can exacerbate the damage to your financial health. Confronting reality sooner rather than later can mitigate potential losses and lead to better investment outcomes.
Pitfall 5: Relativity
In the world of investing, the multitude of differing opinions can sometimes be overwhelming. It’s natural for humans to want to compare their investment choices or financial situations with those of others. However, excessive comparison can lead you into what’s known as the relativity trap. This trap occurs when too much focus is placed on comparing rather than evaluating each investment on its own merits.
Simply put, the relativity trap is placing too much importance on others’ decisions without also considering their unique set of circumstances. It’s unhealthy to compare your own strategy, lifestyle, or results directly with another person’s—how can you decide what you believe or value?
Ultimately, investing is a very personal pursuit. Your risk tolerance, risk capacity, interests, and goals are your own. Own that and stop playing the comparison game before you find yourself mired in investor psychology pitfalls.
SEE ALSO: 5 Qualities of a Good Investor
Pitfall 6: Pseudo-Certainty
Pseudo-certainty is a term from investor psychology that deals with how risk is assessed and perceived. Typically, investors might shy away from risks precisely when their portfolio is doing well and could potentially tolerate more risk. Conversely, they may pursue riskier investments when facing potential losses. This pattern indicates a tendency to alter risk tolerance based on current investment performance rather than consistent strategy application.
Pseudo-certainty happens mostly because of the psychological pull toward winning it all back. If you raise the stakes, you have a chance to reclaim your losses. However, you don’t have a chance to create any more capital, and the risk of losing more is significant.
Pitfall 7: Irrational Exuberance
This investor psychology trap was made famous by Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve. Irrational exuberance refers to overconfidence on a large scale. It happens mostly when investors have the misconception that the market’s past equals or dictates the market’s future. Yet as any investor knows, the markets are always unpredictable. If you listen to our Money Wise Podcast here at Davidson Capital Management, you know we always remind investors that past performance is not indicative of future results.
When widespread overconfidence grips investors, it can lead to irrational exuberance, inflating market prices to unsustainable levels. Such conditions often set the stage for a harsh market correction. Typically, those who are most affected are the overconfident investors who committed fully to the market just before it adjusts. These investors often experience the most severe consequences of the downturn.
Avoiding Common Investor Psychology Pitfalls: Final Thoughts
Regardless of experience level, we are all susceptible to the investor psychology pitfalls mentioned above. This doesn’t mean you’re a bad investor; it just means you’re human! The first step to overcoming these psychological traps is being aware of them so you can take steps to mitigate their impact.
Working with a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) is a valuable way to guard yourself against these traps, too. Having an experienced, knowledgeable advisor in your corner can counteract innate biases and lead to less emotional, more fact-based investment decisions. If you’d like to learn more about our services as a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), reach out to schedule a conversation today.
