Professor of Financial Economics, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands and Associate Professor for Fintech - Experimental Finance, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Why do individuals, even financial professionals, often make sub-optimal financial decisions? And what can we do about it?
A large part of the answer can be found in psychology. I conduct fundamental as well as practically relevant research in investor psychology ("behavioral finance") and use my insights to consult banks and insurance companies improving their products and services. Primarily, I develop and implement innovative methods to measure and assess the risk preferences of investors (“risk profiling”), taking into account the ongoing digitization in the financial industry (FinTech). My research aims understanding investor psychology and supporting them making better decisions. I am affiliated with the Swiss FinTech Innovation Lab. Further, I am Treasurer, Managing Board Member and Scientific Board Member Society for Experimental Finance and Associate with BhFS Behavioural Finance Solutions, Zurich, Switzerland.
News
2021-06-10: Our paper "Do investors care about impact?", joint with F. Heeb, J. Kölbel and F. Paetzold, is accepted at the AFA2022 annual meeting in Bsoton (MA). We also substantially updated the paper.
2021-05-10: New working paper: A Culture of Greed: The Effect of Aggregate Greed on Bubble Formation in Experimental Asset Markets (with S. Breugelman, K. Hoyer and M. Zeelenberg)
2021-03-23: Updated working paper: History Matters: How Short-Term Price Charts Hurt Investment Performance
2021-02-27: New working paper: "Do investors care about impact?", joint with F. Heeb, J. Kölbel and F. Paetzold.
2021-02-25: What are the chances and risks of bitcoin? Interview in the Algemeen Dagbald (in Dutch)
2021-02-09: My research on sustainability is part of the Actieplan Consumentenkeuzes, an initiative by the Dutch Finance Ministry. The outcomes should help consumers make better decisions, and, together with other projects were sent to the Dutch Twede Kamer by Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra (in Dutch).
2021-01-26: Looking for a PhD student in FinTech at the University of Zurich: Apply here!
2021-01-18: Interview and article (in German) with Hndelszeitung.ch about "Psychofallen an der Börse"
2021-01-06: New publication: The effect of dispositional greed on individual trading behavior in experimental asset markets, with S. Breugelman, K. Hoyer, T. Seuntjens and M. Zeelenberg, Decision.
2020-12-21: Article in the VEB Magazine on new sustainability research joint with the VEB (in Dutch, behind paywall)
2020-11-02: New working paper: "Short versus Long: The Influence of Price Chart Display Horizons on Investor Behavior", joint with C. Borsboom, D.-J. Janssen and M. Strucks.
2020-10-30: Working paper online: "What is Risk? How Investors Perceive Risk in Return Distributions" - Paper has been circled around privately and presented over the last years at several seminars and conferences. Finally, here the working paper
2020-10-16: New working paper: The effect of dispositional greed on individual trading behavior in experimental asset markets (2020), with S. Breugelman, K. Hoyer, T. Seuntjens and M. Zeelenberg
2020-09-19: New working paper: "Arbitrage on the Markets for Cryptocurrencies", joint with T. Crépellière.
2020-08-16: New descriptive working paper: "How FinTech Can Help Latin America to Deal with Economic Challenges and the COVID-19 Crisis", joint with K. Smeets
2020-07-14: A revised version of "Is Buying more Forward-Looking than Selling? The Role of Beliefs in Investment Decisions" (with D. Grosshans and F. Langnickel) is available.
2020-05-15: A revised version of my manuscript "Do People Care About Loss Probabilities" is available now.
Older news
2019-11-03: New publication: What makes an investment risky? An analysis of price path characteristics (with C. Borsboom) has been accepted at the Journal of Economics Behavioral & Organization.
2019-10-17: New publication: What drives risk perception? A global survey with financial professionals and laymen, accepted at Management Science, with F. Holzmeister, J. Huber, F. Lindner, M. Kirchler and U. Weitzel
2019-09-11: New publication: Does Investor Risk Perception Drive Asset Prices in Markets? Experimental Evidence, with J. Huber and S. Palan, has been accepted at the Journal of Banking & Finance.
2019-06-10: New working paper: What makes an investment risky? An analysis of price path characteristics (with C. Borsboom)
2019-04-01: New working paper: What drives risk perception? A global survey with financial professionals and laymen (with F. Holzmeister, J. Huber, F. Lindner, M. Kirchler and U. Weitzel)
2018-11-10: Join my talk at the Amsterdam Behavioral Science Network on November 28th, 2018 in Amsterdam
2018-10-27: New publication: How Persistent are the Effects of Experience Sampling on Investor Behavior?, Journal of Banking & Finance (2019) with M. Bradbury and T. Hens
2018-05-01: Read our new practical research paper on "Investor Risk Perception in the Netherlands" in collaboration with the Dutch regulator Autoriteit Finaniële Markten AFM
2018-01-17: Some practical insights from my research: What sugar and coffee have to do with investing: Becoming a better investor with simulated experience
2017-12-21: Bitcoin-Bubble? Article in the Dutch Financial Times (in Dutch): Die bitcoin slijt je wel weer aan een grotere onnozelaar
2017-09-26: New publication "All's well that ends well? On the Importance of How Returns Are Achieved" accepted at the Journal of Banking & Finance.
2017-08-06: Completely revised paper "All's well that ends well? On the Importance of How Returns Are Achieved" available.
2017-07-27: New working paper available: "Does Investor Risk Perception Drive Asset Prices in Markets? Experimental Evidence" (with J. Huber and S. Palan)