Conquering Complexity With Simple Rules

What do burglars, Stanford’s football team, and Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen have in common? They all use simple rules to help them navigate complex challenges, according to a new book by Stanford professor Kathleen Eisenhardt. Many burglars follow just one rule that significantly lowers their risk of getting caught — they pass on houses where…

Details

Advisers’ Stock Recommendations Drag Down Clients’ Portfolios

Investors trading stocks with assistance of financial advisers are more diversified and overcome some common pitfalls, a new working paper from European researchers found. But they are worse off overall than investors who trade independently, because their stock purchases underperform, the study says. The findings suggest advisers “do not help investors make superior stock purchases,”…

Details