Explore the Advisor Playbook
The playbook is your go-to guide to behavioral finance—perfect for getting started or finding answers when questions arise. Take a quick peek at the insights and tips below or download the full playbook to explore it all.
Crack the code of behavioral science
Master core concepts
Explore common investment biases and generational tendencies—and why they matter.
Build bias-optimized portfolios
Learn practical strategies for managing client biases in portfolio construction and client communication.
Help clients stay the course
Get tips for keeping clients invested throughout the economic cycle—regardless of their age or investing experience.
Preview what’s inside each section of the playbook
Help clients recognize their biases
Biases are mental shortcuts shaped by factors like emotions and personal experiences. When an investor’s biases collide with market volatility, decisions can be driven more by impulse than strategy. Recognizing these biases is key to making better choices.
Help clients manage biases through economic ups and downs
Market swings can stir emotions like fear, greed and excitement, triggering biases that may lead clients to act against their own best interests. By anticipating common triggers that arise during different phases of the economic cycle, you can help manage clients' instincts and guide them toward wiser, more rational investing decisions.
Plan with generational tendencies in mind
A client’s age offers valuable insight into the societal trends and market conditions they faced in their early investing years. While it’s important not to make broad assumptions based solely on the client’s generation, acknowledging potential generational influences can inform your discussions with clients and effectively guide your approach.
Balance clients’ wants and needs
Client instincts can get in the way of sound investing decisions, especially when the market is turbulent and emotions run high. Biagnostics offers a concrete approach to aligning clients’ financial wants and needs to help them stay invested in the long term.
Activate behavioral science in your practice
In addition to the playbook, the Biagnostics program offers a robust resource toolkit to help you quickly implement or advance behavioral finance in your practice. From the step by step advisor guide to the Investor Workbook and Client Discussion sheet, you have everything you need to get started.
Activate behavioral finance today
The backbone of the Biagnostics program is a straightforward toolkit to help you quickly implement and advance behavioral finance in your practice. Here’s how to make the best use of the toolkit.
1. Read the Advisor Guide
The guide walks you step-by-step through Schwab’s Biagnostics framework, with illustrative examples to help ease the way.
2. Use the Investor Workbook with clients
The workbook’s quizzes and checklists help clients identify their most prominent biases, setting them on a path to balance their emotional wants and financial needs.
3. Build a plan with the Discussion Worksheet
This handy worksheet helps you track and manage clients’ investing biases and start building bias-optimized portfolios.
Access an expert point of view
Want to learn more about leveraging behavioral finance in your practice and helping your clients understand how their emotions could impact their investing decisions? Ask us about our popular presentations—one for advisors and one we can give directly to your clients.