Knowing what’s bad for our finances – but doing it anyway

Talk Description

We like to think we make investment decisions rationally; that we weigh up the facts and choose what's best for our future. But the reality is rather different. Behavioural finance research reveals how psychology quietly shapes our financial choices, often in ways that work against our own interests. From first-time savers to seasoned professionals managing billions, investors too frequently fall prey to their best investing intentions. The behavioural influences that lead to these decisions are well-documented: We recognise them, know they are harmful to our financial health, and yet we persist with them. Dr Gertjan Verdickt will shed light on the hidden forces that drive our money decisions and explain why behavioural dilemmas are so tricky to overcome. He will unpack the four groups of biases that trip us up – social, emotional, perception and cognitive – and explain why even the experts are caught out by these.
Bio

Dr Gertjan Verdickt is an Associate Professor in Accounting and Finance in the Business School. His research focus is on how historical trends and specific dynamics of real assets shape investor behaviour and market evolutions. He has a PhD in Financial Economics from the University of Antwerp and has made multiple research visits to Stanford University, Columbia Business School, the University of Notre Dame, ESE Business School and the University of Melbourne.