Davisville, 10/12/15: How to approach the stock market, whether it’s volatile or not

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Brad Barber, UC Davis finance professor

Even if you don’t own stocks, you’ve probably heard about the steep price swings in the stock market since August, and perhaps wondered what they mean. Brad Barber, a professor of finance at UC Davis, is an often-quoted expert (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN) on the market, investor psychology and related subjects. On today’s show we talk about investing in stocks, this year’s volatility, his research into the habits of the average investor, and the evolution away from pensions that guarantee a defined payout.