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Planet Money · February 14, 2026 · 25m

FOMO Is the Worst Investment Strategy

Planet Money on why retail investors consistently buy high and sell low. The psychology of FOMO investing and why the boring index fund strategy beats 95% of active traders.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Canon

Planet Money: investors who made 20% in a bull market feel unsatisfied when the next year returns 10%. The treadmill of rising expectations drives increasingly risky bets to maintain the emotional high.

Highlights

The best investment strategy is the one boring enough that you don't check it
Planet Money: Vanguard's data shows that their best-performing accounts belong to people who either forgot they had the account or died. Inaction — boring, automated index fund investing — beats active management 95% of the time.
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