Investment Traps Exposed: Navigating Investor Mistakes and Behavioral Biases

Winner of the Book Excellence Awards 2017, Personal Finance category

Given the complex and challenging world of investing, what chance do individuals have navigating the financial minefield and emerging unscathed? Not much, unless they become knowledgeable about investment fundamentals, recognize and correct their mistakes and behavioral biases, and avoid traps strewn along their path. Investment Traps Exposed guides investors past such potential pitfalls as pyramid and Ponzi schemes to help them become more financially successful.

Investment Traps Exposed helps investors and advisors increase their awareness about the external and internal traps that they or their clients can encounter. Baker and Puttonen not only examine common mistakes, assumptions and deceptions that can ensnare investors, affect sound judgment, and reduce wealth but also delve into how to recognize and avoid these errors. The authors present practical advice and real-world examples in a user-friendly manner, and also nudge investors to stay on the right course to mitigate misbehaving.

H. Kent Baker, CFA, CMA, is University Professor of Finance in the Kogod School of Business at the American University. He has authored or edited 28 books and more than 250 other publications in such outlets as the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Financial Management, Financial Analysts Journal, and Journal of Portfolio Management. Several sources rank him among the top 1 percent of the most prolific academic authors in finance during the past 50 years. Professor Baker has consulting and training experience with more than 100 organizations. He has eight earned degrees including three doctorates.

Vesa Puttonen is Professor of Finance at Aalto University School of Business. His research has been published in Management Science, Financial Analysts Journal, Financial Management, European Financial Management, Journal of Banking and Finance, and Journal of Asset Management among others. He has worked as Senior Vice President at the Helsinki Stock Exchange and as Managing Director at Conventum Asset Management (Helsinki). Professor Puttonen is a faculty member of MBA Programs in Helsinki, Hong Kong, Singapore, Poland, China, Iran, Taiwan and South Korea.