What’s the Difference Between a 17% and 7% Savings Rate?

Our data consistently tells us that in the arena of personal-finance outcomes, behaviors matter. They matter a lot. So we thought it was time to try and quantify—from a dollars and net-worth perspective—exactly how much is “a lot.” We’ll consider savings rate as a critical behavior. We have talked here before about the difference in savings rates between “high-potential” and “low-potential” individuals, as measured by scores on the DataPoints Building Wealth assessment. As a quick …
The state of flow from a psychological perspective is when you are completely engrossed in a task and are able to work or create in a productive way. It requires removing all distractions and being in a state of deep concentration. You hear about flow when someone shares that she wrote a book in four weeks, or maybe spent 14 uninterrupted hours creating a sculpture. It’s almost superhuman, but it can happen when you …
What would you say are your greatest strengths? Weaknesses? Think back on the last few job interviews you had for a moment. How many of them included these generic, broad questions? They’ve been handed down through generations of well-meaning hiring managers, but because they don’t relate to specific requirements for the job (other than if the job requires narcissism or self-deprecation) and they’re not tied to a specific aspect of a job (i.e., strength …
Starting a business, as many of you know, is a task that requires a great amount of fortitude, but it also requires the support many others. This year, we are particularly grateful for our clients, who have embraced the use of behavioral science in their practices to help their clients succeed. The advisors who work with us demonstrate a focus on the future of financial planning – thank you for allowing us to be a …
We’ve written before about the often-cited Vanguard “Advisor’s Alpha” study. That research documents the data showing that a good financial advisor can add on average a full 3% in incremental return to a client’s investment portfolio annually. The study then breaks that 3% down into its component parts, showing that the biggest gains–a full 150 basis points–come from effective behavioral coaching that serves to prevent clients from engaging in detrimental investing behaviors (think buying high …

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