An Investing Frankenstein

Patrick O’Shaughnessy attempts to combine all the key attributes in order to create a “Perfect Investor” in a new post at his site, Millennial Invest.

I’ll go the other way around and build the absolute worst investor, taking the worst qualities that we can possess to create an absolute Frankenstein monster…

1. Obsesses over each day’s activity

2. Relentlessly judges self against benchmarks, picking and choosing which one “matters” on any given day

3. Is preoccupied with other people’s trades and quick to hurl insults at people who get things wrong

4. Cannot tolerate the disagreement of other investors, takes personal offense and lashes out in the presence of dissent over an investment idea

5. Attempts to assign meaning to every random fluctuation in the markets

6. Constantly incorporating new data into a “master” thesis or theme, rejecting whatever doesn’t fit

7. Keeps a running score over who else was wrong or right over years and years

8. Emphasizes winning trades in conversation as though they exist in isolation

9. Plays for batting average (W’s and L’s) as opposed to the overall result, ignores trading costs, taxes and other tangible portfolio friction

10. Frequently abandons an underperforming strategy when something else appears to be working better

11. Blames larger forces for unsatisfactory results, ie: The Fed, Central Banking, Politicians, etc

12. Adopts really strong opinions and defends them to the death

13. Allows religious, political or social views to color (dominate?) their investment portfolio / strategy

14. Uses tips from experts in lieu of research, misunderstands the difference between TV and real life

15. Forgets that a stock or a fund doesn’t know or care who its owners are, or what price they acquired it at; trades for revenge

We’ve all exhibited a few of these traits. If you come into contact with someone who exhibits many or most of them, know that you’re dealing with a schmuck and run the other way.

What's been said:

Discussions found on the web
  1. 10 Thursday PM Reads | The Big Picture commented on Oct 09

    […] due to high fees and poor performance. (Financial News) • Creating an Investing Frankenstein (TRB) • As Growth in Germany Fades, Merkel Hints at a Shift in Economic Policy (NYT) see also […]

  2. 10 Thursday PM Reads | FAN FICTION PLANET commented on Oct 09

    […] due to high fees and poor performance. (Financial News) • Creating an Investing Frankenstein (TRB) • As Growth in Germany Fades, Merkel Hints at a Shift in Economic Policy (NYT) see also […]

  3. 糟糕投资者的15宗罪 | Exploring the World commented on Oct 13

    […] 成功的投资者成功常有相同之处。糟糕的投资者也常犯类似的错误。美国纽约Ritholtz财富管理公司(Ritholtz Wealth Management)CEO Josh Brown, 每天为机构和个人投资者提供建议。他在自己的博客中总结出糟糕投资者的15宗罪。投资者想战胜市场,要先战胜这些错误。 […]

  4. The Daily Dose commented on Oct 21

    […] The Absolute Worst Investor Traits | Josh Brown […]

  5. 你應該避免的投資行為 | 預見雜誌 commented on Jul 15

    […] 根據Ritholtz Wealth Management的CEO Josh Brown 在部落格中,將最糟糕的投資行為,整理成以下15點,如果投資人想要在市場上站穩腳步,就應該先避免這些錯誤行為: […]

  6. click here commented on Sep 14

    … [Trackback]

    […] Information to that Topic: thereformedbroker.com/2014/10/08/an-investing-frankenstein/ […]

  7. taxi cheltenham to bristol airport commented on Sep 17

    … [Trackback]

    […] Here you can find 23321 more Information to that Topic: thereformedbroker.com/2014/10/08/an-investing-frankenstein/ […]

  8. https://blazingtraderapp.com/ commented on Sep 21

    … [Trackback]

    […] Info on that Topic: thereformedbroker.com/2014/10/08/an-investing-frankenstein/ […]

  9. immediate edge deutsch commented on Sep 28

    … [Trackback]

    […] Find More to that Topic: thereformedbroker.com/2014/10/08/an-investing-frankenstein/ […]

  10. bitcoin evolution commented on Oct 01

    … [Trackback]

    […] Read More on that Topic: thereformedbroker.com/2014/10/08/an-investing-frankenstein/ […]

  11. Digital Transformation Services commented on Nov 04

    … [Trackback]

    […] Here you will find 82975 additional Information to that Topic: thereformedbroker.com/2014/10/08/an-investing-frankenstein/ […]