Jan
11

Booms, Busts and Herd Mentality

Wall Street, the housing market and the whole economy have all gone from boom to bust. The global economic meltdown is a stark reminder of how giant bubbles tend to over-inflate until they reach critical mass and inevitably dash our hopes and dreams?dreams of comfortable retirements, steady incomes, education for the kids and even roofs over our heads. The current crisis and recession is touching virtually everyone and the pieces are likely to continue falling well into the future.How do we move forward? If you?re looking for a place to put money that promises a decent return, we encourage you to proceed with caution. We also encourage you to read our new book, <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=?http://www.financialspeculation.com/index.php/about-the-book?>The Big Gamble: Are You Investing or Speculating?</a> There?s an entire sect Fasting For Weight Loss ion filled with colorful tales of people who were so anxious to receive big returns, they got swept up in herd mentality?a condition caused by the temporary insanity of believing that something that sounds too good to be true, might actually be true. It?s a condition that?s led to ruin for many throughout history, and human nature being what it is, it?s a condition that persists today.Bubbles and PsychologyMany people are reeling from their financial losses and are in such a fragile state, they?re vulnerable to herd mentality and primed for further losses. Throughout history, a few dramatic economic bubbles have created such financial havoc that they?ve left us shaking our heads in disbelief, saying, ?What were they thinking?? But to be fair, any one of us might get swept up in what former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan termed ?irrational exuberance? and be tempted to do a little trend-chasing of our own.

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