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# The Reason We Spend Money the Way We Do

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/T9FH6Enn.m3u8" -->
## Video: The Reason We Spend Money the Way We Do

[Watch (HLS stream): The Reason We Spend Money the Way We Do](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/T9FH6Enn.m3u8) (1:07)

![The Reason We Spend Money the Way We Do](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/T9FH6Enn/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2015-11-12. The Reason We Spend Money the Way We Do_


---

Jul 27, 2023 7:08 PM UTC

---

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---


## Transcript

[ MUSIC ] The most important thing in the book was we are spending so much time running around sort of filling random prescriptions that we got from strangers. And the whole financial services industry is sort of built on that because we're all strangers. Right? We don't know each other. We don't have time to prescribe so we follow these rules of thumb. [ MUSIC ] And those rules of thumb can be really valuable but they should just be a starting place. So the book, really, the first three chapters about getting really clear about where are you going first. Then, let's go take all that great advice we are getting out there in the world and seeing how it fits into our plan.

Not the other way around. Right. So once we get clear about why, that serves as sort of the touch stone if you will. Particularly I think the most dangerous is specific investments. Advice. You know hot stock this or hot stock that. Or 12 biotech funds that you've gotta buy now. People running around all the time becoming collectors of investments and not investors. All right they've got a smorgasbord and it doesn't match anything that they like, well wait why are you doing that? And they can't answer, well because I Heard about it on T. V.. That's not a good answer. [ MUSIC ]

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