As humans, we tend to like order. We like lists, we like symmetry, we like calm. So when volatility in the stock market brings chaos to that order, we react. There is a term for this reaction—behavioral finance—and about 40 years of research behind it.

9-4_feeling-tense-blame-stock-market
International Foundation board member and LifeSpan Services President Rick Garnitz has devoted much of his career to studying behavioral finance, and he describes it as the behavioral component to decision making. According to Rick, the simplest way to understand behavioral finance is to look at how we make decisions regarding investments. People are 2½ times more loss averse than they are gain positive. What does this mean? We are 2½ times more fearful of our loss than we are happy with our gain.

Let’s apply this to the stock market and other financial decisions, especially long-range planning. Once a loss occurs, we are afraid. (Will I be able to send my child to college now? How will this affect my plan for retirement?) As a result of our behavior more than doubling in intensity and loss adversity, rash and uncalculated decisions are made—Money is hastily taken out of a stock or quickly moved around. One way to combat this loss aversion is through the power of education.

Because of the chaos in our complex economy, it’s important to understand how finance works. The International Foundation has many tools for plan participants and plan sponsors to help prevent loss aversion that leads to poor decision making and high stress.

Through education on the roller coaster that is today’s economy, poor financial decision making can be prevented, leading to a more prepared and lower stress you.


Anne Killian
Communications Associate at the International Foundation

Anne Patterson

Communications Associate at the International Foundation

Favorite Foundation service/product: The innovative member survey efforts and results from the research team.

Benefits related topics that interest her most: Healthcare, non-traditional wellness initiatives, employee benefit communication.

Personal Insight: It’s all about balance with Anne. She loves to run and enjoys a good culinary adventure. She’ll jump at the chance to travel or to spend fun times with family and friends, but she’ll also take time to catch her breath with an occasional Netflix binge or diving into a classic novel.

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