A Different Way to Think About Investing
Investing is not just about markets. It is about how we think, react, and make decisions under uncertainty. Suit Yourself shows how personality shapes the way we invest.
Suit Yourself explores:
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Why investors sabotage themselves
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How personality shapes investment decisions
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A framework for aligning portfolios with identity
Amazon reviews so far:
I have had a copy of Suite Yourself by Benjamin Tan on my bookshelf for quite a while. I think the thought of reading a book about investment strategy did not thrill me. How wrong I was! I am so impressed with Tan's audacious book, in which he explains important investment concepts alongside the Enneagram to help us introspect and discern the impulses that drive our decisions. It is an interesting idea that our investment approach is an expression of our personality type - particularly because everyone always hears the same financial advice about risk tolerance, diversification, and whatnot - as if everyone is built the same way to execute like machines. Tan's writing is beautiful. His clarity and crisp sentences made it effortless for me to breeze through concepts that would have ordinarily put me to sleep. I enjoyed Tan's references to pop culture icons. Not only did those references make me chuckle, but they also helped me understand what each Enneagram type probably looks like in person. For instance, of course I know what Monica Geller of Friends is like - probably as intimately as I know my close friends. This association helped me understand the personality type better (Type 1 for Monica), and the particular strengths and blind spots such a personality must have in connection with investing. When I read the chapter on Enneagram Type 7, I saw uncanny glimpses of myself (Type 7) in investment and trading decisions: what drives my decisions, how I get fixated on exciting ideas, and how I tend to gloss over certain significant losses. And this probably the only time I compared myself to Freddie Mercury of Queen. More than anything else, I genuinely appreciated how Tan shared his own story so vulnerably, bringing us along on his journey. How each new investment approach reflected his personal growth made me feel hopeful - I could see this investment journey culminating as a means to his personal fulfillment beyond wealth. Experiencing this much humanity from a book about investment was a pleasant surprise for me. I highly recommend this book because it was thoroughly enjoyable in unexpected ways. It is not just about investing strategies. It is about personal growth and introspection against the backdrop of important financial events and pop culture.
As someone who works in the investment field, I approached Suit Yourself: A Portfolio Strategy Guide for Every Person with high expectations — and Ben Tan certainly delivered. The book offers a clear, structured approach to building and managing a personal portfolio, blending both technical strategy and practical advice. It doesn’t oversimplify the complexities of investing but instead provides a solid framework that’s both accessible and useful for individuals at various stages of their financial journey. Ben does a great job addressing the importance of aligning portfolios with personal goals and values, while also providing a thorough breakdown of risk tolerance, asset allocation, and diversification. The actionable advice throughout the book is grounded in solid investing principles, which makes it both a valuable read for beginners and a useful reference for seasoned investors. What stands out is the attention to individual customization, helping readers understand how to adapt strategies for different life stages and financial goals. The inclusion of social responsibility and ESG factors in the investment process is a nice touch, reflecting the growing interest in values-based investing without detracting from the core focus of solid portfolio management. While the concepts themselves aren't groundbreaking for industry professionals, the book offers an effective way to communicate these strategies to clients or less experienced investors. It’s an ideal resource for anyone looking to refine their portfolio approach or introduce these ideas to others.
Benjamin Tan is a skilled and inspiring author who appropriately links personality-driven strategies for financial rewards. He’s been able to tailor the strengths, weaknesses, and investment goals for each of the enneagram personality types. Each chapter focuses on a specific enneagram type that is related to a popular culture figure to allow readers to delve into their own characteristics, desires, fears, and preferences for how they perceive wealth. Benjamin has talents that he has been generous in sharing, and his voice is needed in fusing financial strategy with how one’s mind works. Benjamin’s writing style is engaging and enlightens readers to challenge their investment principles, while transforming how they practically apply it!
Suit Yourself goes beyond sound investment strategies. Benjamin provides clarity into the emotional rollercoaster of life itself. This book has not only helped point out the common denominator between my subconscious tendencies to my go to investment strategies, but also helped explained some of the life choices that I have chosen to make. I have benefited tremendously from reading the book, and would recommend anybody, whether interested in investing or not, to give it a read.
If you are curious about the book, you can start here. The preview below includes the introduction and a chapter about my investing journey:
If you enjoyed this excerpt, the rest of the book continues exploring how personality influences our investing decisions. If you decide to read the full book and find it valuable, I would be grateful if you left a short review on Amazon. Reviews help other readers discover the book.
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Chapter Summaries
Suit Yourself applies the Enneagram theory to individual investing to create a distinctive financial self-help book. It is the first to incorporate personality typing into the finance genre, balancing commercial appeal and provocative dissection of behavioral patterns. Through the power of storytelling and pop culture, the author weaves an evocative narrative using iconic characters from films and television shows to imbue his insights with wit, levity, and relatability. Suit Yourself helps readers become better investors by raising self-awareness, mitigating blind spots, and leveraging psychological insights for continuous improvement over a lifetime. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, a different investment roadmap is sketched for each personality archetype, thus lending an empathetic voice that honors individuality. Suit Yourself also looks back on the author’s investing history and compelling life story to illustrate an Enneagram evolution that makes him even more relatable to readers.
To give you a feel for the book, I am sharing preview chapters here. These include the introduction and a chapter on my investing journey—how my philosophy evolved from value investing toward growth investing, and how personality shaped that evolution. This is also a personal story about how my own investing philosophy evolved over time.
Introduction
Chapter 1
The Enneagram Model
Chapter 2
Investment Road Map
The Nine Enneagram Types
Chapter 3
Type One (Perfectionist): Monica Geller
Chapter 5
Type Three (Performer): Strike a Pose
Chapter 7
Type Five (Investigator): Sherlock Holmes
Chapter 9
Type Seven (Enthusiast): Bohemian Rhapsody
Chapter 4
Type Two (Giver): Hidden Figures
Chapter 6
Type Four (Individualist): Cruella De Vil
Chapter 8
Type Six (Skeptic): House of Gucci
Chapter 10
Type Eight (Challenger): Game of Thrones
Chapter 11
Type Nine (Peacemaker): First Wives Club
Chapter 12
My Ongoing Enneagram and Financial Journey