Investors need to know when to put down the phone
Smartphone alerts can promote what behaviourists call “overtrading”, shredding your returns – and your nerves.
Some experiments are self-fulfilling prophecies. Morgan Spurlock put on weight by bingeing on Big Macs for his 2004 Super Size Me documentary. I became distracted and tetchy after switching on smartphone stock price alerts.
You can easily receive 10 or more notifications an hour if you follow enough assets closely. The effect is particularly galvanising if you choose a clanging stock exchange opening bell as your notification sound.
Financial Times
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