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To outsmart investing instincts, decide in advance how you will invest, then use that plan to slow down decisions driven by fear, excitement, or what other investors are doing. A written plan, a decision checklist, and a journal can help you examine your reasoning—but none guarantees better returns.
The video named in the title could not be reliably identified, so its speaker and specific advice are unverified. The guidance below draws on a practitioner article about investing biases, not on a transcript of that video or proof that any one tactic improves investment results.
Why investing instincts can lead to rushed decisions
Market moves can prompt reactions that feel sensible in the moment: chasing a rising investment, selling after a drop, or refusing to reconsider a losing position. These reactions may reflect familiar cognitive biases rather than a deliberate choice aligned with your goals and time horizon.
A practitioner overview by Ashley Smith describes five biases that can influence investing decisions: overconfidence, herding, loss aversion, anchoring, and recency bias. Treat these as useful prompts for self-review, not as diagnoses or proof that every investor will respond the same way. Smith’s article, “Mind Over Money: How to Outsmart Your Brain’s Investing Biases”, was published January 16, 2026.
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Five investing biases—and questions to check your reasoning
Overconfidence
Confidence in your analysis can become a problem if it leads you to concentrate too much in one investment or skip examining contrary evidence. Before acting, ask: What evidence would show that my investment thesis is wrong?
Herding
Buying or selling mainly because other people are doing it can pull you away from your own strategy. Ask whether the move fits the investment plan you made before the current market excitement or anxiety.
Loss aversion
A falling investment can be hard to sell because selling makes the loss feel final. To test whether the purchase price is controlling your decision, ask: Based on what I know now, would I choose to buy this holding today? Consider current reasons and your plan, not just the price you paid.
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Anchoring
An initial number or piece of information—such as a purchase price or an earlier valuation—can unduly shape later judgments. Identify the anchor, then compare it with current evidence instead of treating it as a target the investment must return to.
Recency bias
The latest market move can feel like a forecast, even though a recent rise or fall alone does not establish what comes next. Look beyond the latest move and assess it against your time horizon and plan.
Build guardrails before the next stressful market move
Write down an investment plan
Set out your goals, time horizon, approach, and the circumstances that would prompt you to review a holding. A written plan gives you something specific to consult when market stress makes an impulsive decision tempting. It does not remove risk or determine the right choice for every situation.
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Use a checklist and a waiting period
Before a major change, pause and check the reasons for it. A checklist might ask:
- Does this decision fit my written plan and time horizon?
- What current evidence supports the change?
- Am I reacting mainly to recent price moves or other people’s actions?
- What evidence would change my view?
Smith also suggests waiting before taking major action. A pause can create room to review your reasoning; it is not a rule to delay a decision that genuinely needs prompt attention.
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Record what you decided, why you decided it, what assumptions you relied on, and what would make you revisit the choice. Looking back can help you examine whether an outcome reflected sound reasoning, luck, or circumstances you did not anticipate. A journal is a review tool, not a promise of improved performance.
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Consider diversification and automation in the context of your plan
Diversification and automated regular contributions are among the practical suggestions in Smith’s article. Diversification can reduce dependence on a single holding, while automation can reduce the number of recurring decisions you make manually. Neither approach guarantees a profit or suits every situation; consider how each fits your goals, circumstances, and tolerance for risk.
Ask for an outside perspective when useful
An adviser may help you examine your reasoning from another perspective. General educational information is not individualized financial advice, and an adviser’s view should be considered in light of your own goals and circumstances.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What these tactics can—and cannot—establish
The guidance here is about improving the decision process, not predicting market movements or prescribing whether to buy, hold, or sell a particular asset. The practitioner article proposes plans, checklists, a pause, self-audits, journaling, diversification, automation, and adviser input as possible guardrails. The reviewed sources do not establish that any one of them reliably improves an individual investor’s returns.
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For context, NGPF’s page about finance professor Terrance Odean notes his research background and access to individual-investor account records, but it does not provide a specific study result or statistic to support a numerical claim here. Separately, a Podcast Republic directory lists a related episode titled “Enrich Your Future 28 & 29: How to Outsmart Your Investing Biases,” dated April 7, 2025. That listing does not establish that the episode is the video named in this article’s title, so its contents should not be attributed to that video. Podcast Republic’s “My Worst Investment Ever Podcast” listing provides the directory context.
This article is educational, not individualized financial advice. No specific investment decision is appropriate for every reader.
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