This post kicks off a series that delves into an important debate unfolding in the finance community – is there an art to investing or is there a science to investing? Often times, this leads to a lot of other debates such as the active versus passive investment debate. It should come as no surprise, that we believe in both. There is a role for art in investing and that it works in tandem with the science of investing.
What makes this series especially interesting for me is that I am joined by my colleague, Cliff Jarvis. He has been a financial advisor with Ohanesian / Lecours for over twenty years and brings a wealth of strategic insights and perspectives that round out our investment committee. So let’s delve into it with Cliff providing an overview of the art versus science debate:
Many years ago economists developed mathematical models to optimize investing. Sounds simple. But is it really in a world of changing rules, unexpected events, and evolving individual needs? The following series explores why investing is more than math and why a constantly changing macro-environment and evolving personal circumstances demand a human touch that is set apart from mechanical empiricism. Our belief is that investing is an art not just a mathematical science. The following series starts with the world as it currently is and, hopefully before the series ends, will enhance the investor’s ability to successfully cope with investing.