Scientific Investment Best Practices Articles

What is investment science?

Investment science clarifies what is known about best investment practices by using objective academic sources. It sheds light on important investment subjects that remain uncertain.

What else should you read about investing?

In addition to reading The Skilled Investor, there is a book that is also well worth reading. Capital Ideas: The Improbable Origins of Modern Wall Street by Peter L. Bernstein does an excellent job of tracing the history of how scientifically based ideas have changed the securities markets.

A caution related to classic investment books

Individual investors should exercise caution when applying the tactics of older, classic investment books to current markets. The more handcrafted, seat-of-the-pants, and individual actor approach to the securities markets in the pre-computer, pre-networking era has given way to different practices. Therefore, it is important not to confuse valid investment principles with the tactics that were used to implement them in the past.

What should you look for in the financial media to improve your personal investment skills?

Use the financial media to develop a long-term view of the economy. Ignore the ups and downs of individual firms and focus on learning about the underlying factors that drive the economy.

How can individual investors trust, when so much investment information is rubbish?

Investing evokes a very wide variety of thoughts, emotions, and motivations. Conversations, the media, and popular literature contain significant unverified, biased, false, and sometimes simply ridiculous investment information. When such information is superficially plausible, it seems especially easy for erroneous beliefs to perpetuate and become part of widespread investment folklore. The Skilled Investor dubs such supposed investment information as rubbish.

Using Google Scholar to find scientific finance articles

If you want to do some scientific finance research yourself, try using Google Scholar. Be prepared for a lot of the material you find to be esoteric. Nevertheless, Google Scholar is littered with diamonds that can improve your understanding of personal finance and save you money.