Don’t Be That Person
Don’t Be That Person
Adam M. Grossman August 2, 2020
THE TRICKY THING about investing is that there’s no single “right” approach. In an earlier article, I described the approach I favor—what I call the five minds of the investor, which involves being part optimist, pessimist, analyst, economist and psychologist.
But there are many other ways to be successful: You might invest in real estate, or follow a quantitative investment strategy, or invest in private companies. There are plenty of people who do very well with these approaches.
That said, there are also many investing styles that look like they might work, but often don’t. Want to fare well financially? Here are five common approaches to investing that you should probably avoid:
1. The Raconteur. A raconteur is no ordinary storyteller. According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, a raconteur is “a person who excels in telling anecdotes.” That’s exactly what’s dangerous about this approach to investing. Though their evidence might be anecdotal, raconteurs truly believe they are using facts to support their views.
Suppose a raconteur is trying to research a consumer electronics company. He or she might speak with someone who works for the company or might try one of its products. In both cases, the raconteur is collecting real data, but it’s too limited to be conclusive. Nonetheless, that information can be woven together into a story that sounds compelling.
Raconteurs, in fact, love to invoke the concept of “buy what you know,” an idea popularized by Fidelity Investments veteran Peter Lynch. In the introduction to his book One Up on Wall Street, Lynch argued that individual investors should buy stock in companies that they know and understand. “If you stay half-alert,” he wrote, “you can pick the spectacular performers right from your place of business or out of the neighborhood shopping mall….”
He goes on to describe how he discovered several winning stocks—including Taco Bell, Dunkin’ Donuts and Apple—using just that method. But raconteurs overlook one key fact: It isn’t that simple. Yes, Lynch recommended that investors keep their eyes open for new ideas. But he didn’t stop there. Read the rest of Lynch’s book, and you’ll quickly see that anecdotes were just his starting point. He then moved on to hard analysis.
To continue reading, please go to the original article here: