Richard Drew
Ever made one of those expensive investing mistakes and later wondered, "What was I thinking?"
Turns out you're not alone. Behavioural finance models, anchored in psychology and economics, show that most investors are not strictly rational, and that the way a situation is framed has a major impact on investing decisions.
Two highly-regarded behavioural finance professors, Lisa Kramer and Mark Kamstra, will be taking your questions on investing psychology at noon (ET). You can ask them about seasonal investing patterns, how changes in risk appetite can lead to predictable market movement, behavioural biases and similar topics. You can get a jump on the queue by submitting your question here.
If you want to bone up on your behavioural finance ahead of the discussion, here's a little light reading from Investopedia.com.
You'll also be able to read more about investing psychology and strategy in our Trade By Numbers e-zine, out today.
And here's a look at some research by Dr. Kramer and Dr. Kamstra, who frequently work together.
Lisa Kramer is the Canadian Securities Institute Research Foundation term professor and an associate professor of finance at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. Dr. Kramer joined the University of Toronto in 2001. Prior to that, she earned her bachelor's degree, with a joint major in economics and finance, at Simon Fraser University and her doctorate in finance at the University of British Columbia.
Mark Kamstra is an associate professor of finance with the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto, which he joined September 2004. Prior to this he was a policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and an associate professor of economics at Simon Fraser University. Dr. Kamstra received his bachelor of arts degree in economics from the Queen's University at Kingston. He earned his master's degree in economics at the University of British Columbia, and his doctorate in economics at the University of California in San Diego.
Dr. Kamstra and Dr. Kramer are currently on a one-year research sabbatical at Stanford University's Psychology Department.
Editor's Note: globeandmail.com editors will read and allow or reject each question/comment. Comments/questions may be edited for length or clarity. HTML is not allowed. We will not publish questions/comments that include personal attacks on participants in these discussions, that make false or unsubstantiated allegations, that purport to quote people or reports where the purported quote or fact cannot be easily verified, or questions/comments that include vulgar language or libellous statements. Preference will be given to readers who submit questions/comments using their full name and home town, rather than a pseudonym.