The Only Three Questions That Count

In this summary you will learn

• What three fundamental questions investors should ask to avoid losses and improve their probability of success
• How conventional wisdom is surprisingly wrong about market performance, government spending and borrowing, and other economic factors

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Why you should read The Only Three Questions That Count

Ken Fisher is one of the most famous market pundits and money managers in the United States, and one of the few to occupy a spot on the Forbes list of America's richest people. In this book, he debunks conventional wisdom and widely believed folklore about securities markets and the process of investing. He suggests a sort of investors' examination of conscience: They should routinely ask themselves three simple, straightforward questions to ensure that they are not falling into avoidable error: Which of my beliefs are false? What can I understand that others cannot understand? And, what cognitive illusions are fooling me now? He provides ample supporting research to buttress his assertions about the market and, more to the point, to topple the false wisdom that leads so many investors to failure. getAbstract finds that Fisher is lucid, strongly opinionated, sometimes a bit of a crank (a long tangent on Gertrude Stein seems particularly out of place in this book) but, on the whole, well worth reading.

About the Authors

Ken Fisher has written the "Portfolio Strategy" column for Forbes magazine for more than two decades. He is also founder, chairman and CEO of a money management firm with more than $30 billion in assets. Jennifer Chou and Lara Hoffmans are research analysts at Fisher’s company.