LESSONS FROM TOP INVESTING GURUS

Take a master class from some of Wall Street’s best.

- ADAM SHELL

Like many investors, you might be managing your nest egg in do-it-yourself mode, despite never studying finance or economics like the Wall Street MBAs and PhDs who construct portfolios for a living. But you don’t have to feel like a C student when it comes to investing or unsure about running your own 401(k). Nearly half (46%) of U.S. adults say they’re “interested in learning more about investing,”according to a survey by AssetMark, a firm that provides technology services to financial advisers.

And what better way to boost your investing IQ than by learning from Wall Street’s best investors? Just as there’s nobody more qualified to teach you about cooking than Gordon Ramsay or how to compose a photo than Annie Leibovitz, a great way to master investing is to pick the brains of the financial gurus who have climbed to the top of the class in the financial world.

So, with markets as unpredictable, volatile and uncertain as ever in the post-pandemic world, we turned to some heavyweights for advice on key personal finance and investment subjects. Topics range from how not to let your emotions sabotage your portfolio to how to avoid buying cheap stocks that are cheap for a reason, and from why it makes sense to buy stocks that rank high on sustainability measures to how you can spot the next big move in the S&P 500 stock index. What follows are mini masterclasses from some of Wall Street’s best teachers (listed alphabetically), in their own words, designed to help you become an A+ investor.

KATHERINE COLLINS

Head of Sustainable Investing, Putnam Investments

A veteran mutual fund manager, Collins is charged with finding companies that make money—and make the world a better place for people and the planet.