This piece examines risk profiling through a behavioral finance lens. Behavioral finance attempts to understand and explain actual investor behavior, in contrast to theorizing about investor behavior. It differs from traditional (or standard) finance, which is based on assumptions of how investors and markets should behave. Much has been written about the tension that exists between the willingness to take risk and the ability to take risk. Risk appetite is the willingness to take risk and risk capacity is the ability to take risk. In the behavioral context, risk appetite and risk capacity are defined in terms of known risks and unknown risks. Irrational client behavior often occurs when a client experiences unknown risks. To aid in the advisory process, advisors can use Behavioral Investor Types to help make rapid yet insightful assessments of what type of investor they are dealing with before recommending an investment plan. With a better understanding of behavioral finance vis-à-vis risk taking, practitioners can enhance their understanding of client preferences and better inform their recommendations of investment strategies and products.

If risk aversion and willingness to take on risk are driven by emotions and we as humans are bad at correctly identifying them, the finance profession has a serious challenge at hand—how to reliably identify the individual risk profile of a retail investor or high-net-worth individual. In this series of CFA Institute Research Foundation briefs, we have asked academics and practitioners to summarize the current state of knowledge about risk profiling in different key areas.

The current standard process of risk profiling through questionnaires is highly unreliable and typically explains less than 15% of the variation in risky assets between investors—mostly because the questionnaires focus on socio-economic variables and hypothetical scenarios. The existing research in risk profiling shows, however, that several factors can provide more accurate and reliable insights into the risk profile of investors. Among these factors are the lifetime experiences an investor has had, the financial decisions made in the past, and the influence of family and friends as well as advisers. By using these factors, practitioners can get a better understanding of their clients’ preferences in order to recommend suitable investment strategies and products.

Risk profiling is fraught with misunderstandings that lead to ill-advised approaches to determining suitable investment solutions for individuals. The author discusses how we should think about the crucial elements of (a) risk tolerance, (b) behavioural risk attitudes, and (c) risk capacity. He uses a simple thought experiment to examine a stripped-down investor situation and define the essential features and exact role of each of the components of an investor's overall risk profile. He examines options for eliciting and measuring risk tolerance and considers some promising avenues for future methods.

This note is part of Quality testing.

An essential framework for wealth management using behavioral finance Behavioral Finance for Private Banking provides a complete framework for wealth management tailored to the unique needs of each client. Merging behavioral finance with private banking, this framework helps you gain a greater understanding of your client’s wants, needs, and perspectives to streamline the decision making process. Beginning with the theoretical foundations of investment decision making and behavioral biases, the discussion delves into cultural differences in global business and asset allocation over the life cycle of the investment to help you construct a wealth management strategy catered to each individual’s needs. This new second edition has been updated to include coverage of fintech and neurofinance, an extension of behavioral finance that is beginning to gain traction in the private banking space. Working closely with clients entails deep interpersonal give and take. To be successful, private banking professionals must be as well-versed in behavioral psychology as they are in finance; this intersection is the heart of behavioral finance, and this book provides essential knowledge that can help you better serve your clients’ needs. Understand the internal dialogue at work when investment decisions are made Overcome the most common behavioral biases—and watch for your own Learn how fintech and neurofinance impact all aspects of private banking Set up a structured wealth management process that places the client’s needs front and center Private banking clients demand more than just financial expertise. They want an advisor who truly understands their needs, and can develop and execute the kind of strategy that will help them achieve their goals. Behavioral Finance for Private Banking provides a complete framework alongside insightful discussion to help you become the solution your clients seek.

From the New York Times bestselling author of the book named the best investment book of 2017 comes The Behavioral Investor, an applied look at how psychology ought to inform the art and science of investment management. In The Behavioral Investor, psychologist and asset manager Dr. Daniel Crosby examines the sociological, neurological and psychological factors that influence our investment decisions and sets forth practical solutions for improving both returns and behavior. Readers will be treated to the most comprehensive examination of investor behavior to date and will leave with concrete solutions for refining decision-making processes, increasing self-awareness and constraining the fatal flaws to which most investors are prone. The Behavioral Investor takes a sweeping tour of human nature before arriving at the specifics of portfolio construction, rooted in the belief that it is only as we come to a deep understanding of “why” that we are left with any clue as to “how” we ought to invest. The book is comprised of three parts, which are as follows: - Part One – An explication of the sociological, neurological and physiological impediments to sound investment decision-making. Readers will leave with an improved understanding of how externalities impact choices in nearly imperceptible ways and begin to understand the impact of these pressures on investment selection. - Part Two – Coverage of the four primary psychological tendencies that impact investment behavior. Although human behavior is undoubtedly complex, in an investment context our choices are largely driven by one of the four factors discussed herein. Readers will emerge with an improved understanding of their own behavior, increased humility and a lens through which to vet decisions of all types. - Part Three – Illuminates the “so what” of Parts One and Two and provides a framework for managing wealth in a manner consistent with the realities of our contextual and behavioral shortcomings. Readers will leave with a deeper understanding of the psychological underpinnings of popular investment approaches such as value and momentum and appreciate why all types of successful investing have psychology at their core. Wealth, truly considered, has at least as much to do with psychological as financial wellbeing. The Behavioral Investoraims to enrich readers in the most holistic sense of the word, leaving them with tools for compounding both wealth and knowledge.