Practical analysis for investment professionals
08 December 2017

14 Perspectives on Finance, Markets, and Economies: Enhance Your #FinTwit Feed

In their book, Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction, Philip E. Tetlock and Dan Gardner discuss the concept of a “dragonfly eye” and its importance for accurate forecasting. Their metaphor shows how using multiple lenses to view a subject can provide a more detailed picture and yield greater understanding.

In their podcast, The Limit Does Not Exist, hosts Christina Wallace and Cate Scott Campbell discuss human Venn diagrams: people with an attitude that they describe as interdisciplinary curiosity — the idea that learning from multiple fields of study can produce better results.

The common theme is that using new perspectives can offer breakthroughs that we would not have made on our own. The challenge lies in figuring out how to find those perspectives.

In my experience, CFA Institute conferences and events provide exposure to new and useful viewpoints. But when travel is impractical, I have found Twitter can be a good source as well. You may have seen the study, often shared by Twitter enthusiasts, showing that users of the social media platform can generate better ideas.

If you’re looking for new perspectives through Twitter, here are 14 for you to consider.



Dambisa Moyo (@DambisaMoyo) is an economist and author who specializes in technology, demography, and the future of economic growth. She is a reliable source of contrarian thinking and strategic investment insights.



Sheila C. Bair (@SheilaBair2013) is former chair of the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which gave her a front-row seat for the 2008 global financial crisis. She has also discussed her “rules of the road” for surviving in the workplace.



Betsey Stevenson (@BetseyStevenson) is a former member of the US president’s Council of Economic Advisers and previously served as chief economist at the US Department of Labor. Currently a professor at the University of Michigan, she continues to explore issues affecting the US workforce.



Izabella Kaminska (@IzaKaminska) has been covering cryptocurrencies since the early days of bitcoin, when one of its first and most high-profile exchanges failed. More recently, she investigated the gig economy, and in her role as editor of FT Alphaville, she examines how innovation has impacted global markets.



Blair duQuesnay, CFA, (@BlairHduQuesnay) is a financial adviser based in New Orleans, where she focuses on high-net-worth clients. At the 70th CFA Institute Annual Conference in Philadelphia, she offered advice on building a client-oriented culture.



Meredith Jones (@MJ_Meredith_J) is an author and alternative investment consultant who regularly blogs about hedge funds, private equity, and venture capital (VC). According to Jones, there are three reasons why women and men approach investing differently.



Megan Greene (@EconomistMeg) has been covering Greece and its debt issues for a long time. In her current role as chief economist at Manulife Asset Management, she discusses macroeconomic factors and provides updates on the debt outlook across the eurozone.



Marguerita Cheng (@BlueOceanGW) is the CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth, an investment advisory firm. She shares information about wealth planning for private clients and participated in a panel discussion about building a practice as an adviser in the 21st century.



Bess Levin (@BessLevin) got her start as an intern at Dealbreaker and eventually became its top editor. She has explored eccentric hedge-fund managers, their unexpectedly talented pets, and other absurdities in the financial markets. She is currently part of “The Hive” at Vanity Fair.



April Rudin (@TheRudinGroup) is founder and president of The Rudin Group, a firm that specializes in social media and wealth/financial services marketing. She covers social media for financial advisers and fintech issues, including regtech, with a focus on the technology applied by wealth management firms.



Carolyn McClanahan (@CarolynMcC) discusses how money and health can have unexpected interactions. She brings her medical knowledge to her role as a financial planner, explaining how health care discussions are linked to wealth care results.



Elaine Ou (@Eiaine) provides a unique perspective on Silicon Valley tech VCs through her work as a blockchain engineer based in San Francisco. She explores such developments as smart contracts and some of their not-so-smart applications.



Amy Myers Jaffe (@AmyJaffeEnergy) successfully identified the business cycle factors that would dismantle the “peak oil” narrative. In her role as David M. Rubenstein Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment at the Council on Foreign Relations, she continues to examine issues at the intersection of energy, economics, and geopolitics.



Adrienne M. Penta (@AdriennePenta) founded and leads the Center for Women and Wealth at Brown Brothers Harriman. Her work has revealed ways that advisers can overcome unconscious biases in order to better serve a diverse client base.


Maintaining cognitive diversity is a journey, not a destination — there’s no way to come up with innovative ideas while your thinking is on autopilot. Sometimes it’s the new voices and external viewpoints that lead you to essential insights.

These 14 thinkers are part of a much larger list hosted on Twitter. You can start following them on your own or bookmark the list to follow their updates without having to set up a personal Twitter account.

If you liked this post, don’t forget to subscribe to the Enterprising Investor.


All posts are the opinion of the author. As such, they should not be construed as investment advice, nor do the opinions expressed necessarily reflect the views of CFA Institute or the author’s employer.

Image credit: spacebirdy / CC-BY-SA-3.0

About the Author(s)
Peter M.J. Gross

Peter M.J. Gross was an online content specialist for CFA Institute, where he managed blogs for the CFA Institute Annual Conference, European Investment Conference, and Middle East Investment Conference. Previously, he worked at Hampton Roads Publishing Company and at MFS Investment Management. Mr. Gross' articles have been published by Enterprising Investor, City A.M., Seeking Alpha, and The Hook, and his work has been highlighted by Real Clear Markets. He holds a BA degree from Connecticut College.

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