New technologies allow us to access an enormous amount of information and process them in milliseconds compared to the days of hard work and dedication this would have taken in the past. This is a great opportunity to exploit, as it can considerably speed up our learning curve and allow the deployment of strategies at a fraction of the time and resources needed just few years ago.
This is true in all human activities: the more complex they are, the better they can benefit from new technologies. Trading and investment form part of this cluster of complex activities, and among the most important for each of us as they impact the planning of our financial stability and that of our families.
We can use new technologies both to prepare ourselves to make informed decisions and to then deploy our strategy using tools that can give us real-time access to the financial markets. And in much the same way as professional investors and traders do.
As for the learning aspect, the internet provides enormous amount of information on the matter, starting from the basic to complex strategies, both for free and provided by professional educators, It is possible to follow the content from anywhere, even in real-time, through interactive webinars.
Too good to be true
All good then? The new technology provides access to unprecedented opportunities, but we must be aware that the extreme power of such technology and its ease of access might pose threats if not handled properly and without a careful choice of the firm to partner.
Not all the information accessible is as valuable as it claims to be. A not insignificant level of services are delivered more in the interest of those providing such services than for those intended to receive it, often for hefty fees by promoting unrealistic results for their self-claimed infallible strategies.
The power of the tools we can now access allows software to automatically deploy trading strategies without any human oversight. This is another great leverage, but again, if not approached with adequate knowledge of how to evaluate such instruments in line with your financial profile, risk appetite and tolerance, it could lead to rather unsatisfactory results.
While I strongly believe that new technologies should be leveraged and taken full advantage of, they should not be used to blindly cut corners in any journey to financial success. Such a journey should never be taken lightly.
Roberto d’Ambrosio is CEO of Axiory Global Ltd.
