#1 Self-Deception
The concept of self-deception is a limit to the way we learn. When we mistakenly think we know more than we actually do, we tend to miss information that we need to make an informed decision.
#2 Heuristic Simplification
We can also scope out a bucket that is often called heuristic simplification. Heuristic simplification refers to information-processing errors.
#3 Emotion
Another behavioral finance bucket is related to emotion, but we’re not going to dwell on this bucket in this introductory session. Basically, emotion in behavioral finance refers to our making decisions based on our current emotional state. Our current mood may take our decision making off track from rational thinking.
#4 Social Influence
What we mean by the social bucket is how our decision making is influenced by others.
Top 10 Biases in Behavioral Finance
Behavioral finance seeks an understanding of the impact of personal biases on investors. Here is a list of common financial biases.
Common biases include:
- Overconfidence and illusion of control
- Self Attribution Bias
- Hindsight Bias
- Confirmation Bias
- The Narrative Fallacy
- Representative Bias
- Framing Bias
- Anchoring Bias
- Loss Aversion
- Herding Mentality
Overcoming Behavioral Finance Issues
There are ways to overcome negative behavioral tendencies in relation to investing. Here are some strategies you can use to guard against biases.
#1 Focus on the Process
There are two approaches to decision-making:
- Reflexive – Going with your gut, which is effortless, automatic and, in fact, is our default option
- Reflective – Logical and methodical, but requires effort to engage in actively
Relying on reflexive decision-making makes us more prone to deceptive biases and emotional and social influences.
Establishing logical decision-making processes can help protect you from such errors.
Get yourself focused on the process rather than the outcome. If you’re advising others, try to encourage the people you’re advising to think about the process rather than just the possible outcomes. Focusing on the process will lead to better decisions because the process helps you engage in reflective decision-making.
#2 Prepare, Plan and Pre-Commit
Behavioral finance teaches us to invest by preparing, by planning, and by making sure we pre-commit. Let’s finish with a quote from Warren Buffett.
“Investing success doesn’t correlate with IQ after you’re above a score of 25. Once you have ordinary intelligence, then what you need is the temperament to control urges that get others into trouble.”
Learn more in CFI’s Behavioral Finance Course!
Additional Resources
Thank you for reading this CFI introductory guide to behavioral finance. CFI is on a mission to help anyone become a world-class financial analyst with the Financial Modeling & Valuation (FMVA) certification. To continue learning, these resources will be useful:
- Behavioral Finance Glossary
- Behavioral Interview Questions
- What is Financial Modeling?
- Types of Financial Models
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