Topic: How To Invest

What is Pat’s commentary for the week of January 13, 2015

Article Excerpt

When you take up a new job or pastime, you automatically pick up the jargon that goes with it. That’s human nature. You see it everywhere. In a health food store, moonlighting high-school students can rattle off opinions about which herbal tea or homeopathic remedy you should take for your heart problem. The students seem to know what they’re talking about. But they may simply be repeating what they read on the package, or heard from the company sales rep. Similarly, a sporting goods clerk may ask detailed questions about pain in your lower back and metatarsals before recommending a particular golf shoe. (For that matter, many weekend golfers sound like they make a living from the sport.) The pattern shows up everywhere, not just in retail. Plenty of business people complain about lawyers and accountants who took on work that was beyond their ability, which led to needless courtroom defeats and unexpected tax bills. The key point is that it’s much easier to…