The Hidden Biases Sabotaging Your Financial Success with John Joseph De Goey - Ep 81

Are your own psychological biases secretly working against you when it comes to money? In this episode of Recounting Life Lessons, we sit down with John Joseph De Goey—a portfolio manager, author, and financial expert—to uncover the hidden forces shaping our financial decisions.

In this episode, we'll explore how our biases shape our money decisions, why awareness of these psychological quirks is a  game-changer, and how mastering your financial mindset can reduce overwhelm and empower you to lead with confidence.

So, whether you're a business owner, a family leader, or someone looking to take control of your financial future, this conversation is packed with practical strategies and eye-opening insights to help you make more confident, bias-aware financial decisions!

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• The Pervasive Nature of Biases: Biases affect everyone, and while they can't be eliminated, they can be managed. Discover how increasing your awareness of these biases empowers you to make smarter, more intentional financial choices.
• The Impact of Psychological Factors on Financial Decisions: Learn how mental traps and cognitive biases often lead people to make emotion-driven decisions rather than logical, well-thought-out choices—and what you can do to counteract these tendencies.
• Specific Psychological Biases That Impact Financial Success: De Goey breaks down several common biases that could be costing you money including:
  
  • Optimism Bias
  • Resulting
  • Overconfidence
  • Escalation of Commitment
  • Sunk Cost Fallacy
• Strategies for Managing Biases: Learn how self-awareness and honesty about your motivations can help you make better financial choices. Discover why seeking feedback from a trusted third party can provide an unbiased perspective, and how discussing your biases with someone who will challenge your assumptions can keep you on the right track.
• The Importance of Choice Architecture: Explore how the way choices are presented can significantly impact decision-making. We discuss real-world examples, like the "Save More Tomorrow" program, which helps people effortlessly increase their savings, and how default options in organ donation policies have dramatically increased participation rates.
• The Role of Technology in Amplifying Biases: Understand how technology and social media algorithms can reinforce confirmation bias, making it harder to see alternative perspectives. Learn how to recognize and counteract these influences to make more informed financial choices.
• The Value of Seeking Help: Discover why even the best decision-makers benefit from outside guidance. We'll discuss the advantages of working with financial advisors who provide expert insitghts and how having a trusted accountability partner can help you identify and overcome your biases.

For a deeper dive into the lessons and insights John Joseph De Goey shared, tune into the full interview. And be sure to check out his book, Bullshift: How Optimism Bias Threatens Your Finances and his podcast Make Better Wealth Decisions.

Join us as we explore these lessons and practical tips for making better financial decisions.

Where to get De Goey's book Bullshift: 

Order on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PWTw4l (using this link will also support this podcast at no extra cost to you)

Where to get the Your Best Year Ever Blueprint:

https://www.recountinglifelessons.com/best-year-ever

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