30 December 2013

Top 10 Posts from 2013: Films, Behavioral Finance, and Gold

Posted In: Best Of

1. Top 20 Films about Finance: From Crisis to Con Men

If the film industry has anything to teach finance professionals, it’s this: The financial services industry, particularly Wall Street, had a serious public relations problem long before the financial crisis of 2008.

2. Advice on How to Become a Research Analyst

A frequent question we receive at CFA Institute is, “What can I do to improve my chances of getting hired as a research analyst?” Jason Voss, CFA, shares insights from his own experience.

3. A Bond Convexity Primer

How will the Fed’s impending taper affect bond prices? Here is a bond convexity primer to help you figure it out.

4. Seven Nonfinancial Books That Made Me a Better Financial Professional

The more well-rounded you are, the better you are as a financial professional, according to Jason Voss, CFA. Investing demands that you be a polymath — knowing a lot about many things (including nonfinancial topics) and how those things interconnect into an organic whole.

5. Poll: What Is Your Favorite Finance-Themed Movie?

We asked readers to pick their favorite films about finance — and we were a little surprised by the results.

6. Behavioral Portfolio Management: An Alternative to Modern Portfolio Theory

As modern portfolio theory fades in reputation from intense pressure from behavioral finance, many researchers are seeking to fill the void with behavioral finance applications. Behavioral portfolio management is one such model.

7. Inside Bloomberg’s Twitter A-List (Well, At Least a Fraction of It)

Earlier this year Bloomberg announced that it had become the first financial information platform to integrate real-time Twitter feeds “directly into the investment workflows of market professionals.” A network analysis of a partial list of Twitter accounts included in the terminal service yielded some interesting insights.

8. Nassim Taleb and Daniel Kahneman: Black Swan Shows Fragility under Heavy Weight of Anchoring

Two of the era’s leading commentators on human behavior and the markets — Nassim Taleb and Daniel Kahneman — sat down to discuss their research.

9. What is the Difference Between Investing and Speculation — And Why Does It Matter? (Forum)

For centuries many of the world’s leading investment thinkers have struggled to articulate the difference between “investing” and “speculating.” We assembled a panel of leading investment practitioners to discuss the issue in an online forum.

10. Did the Gold Standard Work? Economics Before and After Fiat Money

In many corners, gold was seen as the cure-all for the weakening dollar. Mark Harrison, CFA, took a step back from the heated debate to ask: How is a classical gold standard supposed to work? How did it actually work out in the past?

Honorable mentions: James G. Rickards warns “the Fed is playing with a nuclear reactor”; the rise (and questionable future) of Bitcoins; and changing ideas about technical analysis.

Please note that the content of this site should not be construed as investment advice, nor do the opinions expressed necessarily reflect the views of CFA Institute.

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About the Author(s)

Jennifer Curry

Jennifer Curry formerly served as managing editor of the Enterprising Investor. Previously, she was the social media manager at the New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA). Prior to her work at NYSSA, Curry worked as the senior project editor for a nonfiction imprint at Barnes & Noble Publishing and as an assistant editor at the H.W. Wilson Company. She is the editor of several volumes in the Reference Shelf series, and her writing has appeared in Smithsonian, IndustryWeek, Barnes & Noble Review, and other publications. Curry holds a BS in journalism and a BA in anthropology from the University of Kansas, and an MA in anthropology from Hunter College, City University of New York.