Professional background
Tim’s professional career spans technology and academic psychology, a combination that gave him a unique, data informed approach to understanding financial behaviour. His long standing interest in markets led him to create The Psy-Fi Blog as a place to analyse investment outcomes through the lens of cognitive bias, emotions and decision making.
The blog built a loyal readership, attracting up to 25,000 monthly visitors, and became known for replacing speculation with evidence, humour and clear logical argument.
Books and publications
Tim is the author of several well regarded works on investor psychology and behavioural finance:
Investing Psychology: The Effects of Behavioral Finance on Investment Choice and Bias
Wiley, 2014
A comprehensive guide to recognising and reducing the behavioural biases that consistently lead investors to underperform. It examines instinctive decision making, emotional responses and systematic thinking errors that distort financial choices.
The Zeitgeist Investor: Unlocking the Mind of the Market
Endeavour Press, 2012
A concise analysis of how market cycles reflect collective sentiment as much as economic fundamentals. The book explores booms, busts and recurring psychological patterns that drive market behaviour.
Contributions to:
-
Breaking the Grip of Short-Termism (2013)
-
Human Capital Handbook (2013)
These publications examine financial culture, short-term incentives and the behavioural roots of instability in global markets following the 2008 crisis.
Media contributor roles
Tim’s behavioural finance analysis has been featured widely across the investment community. He is a contributor for:
-
Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/author/tim-richards
-
TalkMarkets: https://talkmarkets.com/contributor/tim-richards/
He is also frequently cited by financial commentators, writers and educators for his behavioural insights and market analysis.
The mission behind The Psy-Fi Blog / psyfi money
Tim founded The Psy-Fi Blog to give investors a deeper understanding of the psychological forces behind market movements.
His writing helps readers see:-
How biases influence stock picking and strategy
-
Why investors repeatedly fall into the same emotional traps
-
How crowd behaviour drives market cycles
-
How awareness of psychology can make individuals more rational investors
The goal has always been to present finance through research, logic and humour, without relying on speculation or untested opinion.
Recognition
Tim’s work has earned consistent praise from experts, including:
-
“I read Tim’s Psy-Fi blog religiously… it turns my thinking upside down.” – Teresa A Daniels, Sullivan University
-
“It does as good a job as any in translating behavioural finance into lessons for individual investors.” – Tadas Viskanta, Abnormal Returns
These endorsements reflect the influence Tim’s writing has had on both professional and retail investors.
Personal background
Based in the United Kingdom, Tim balances his professional focus on psychology and finance with family life, technology interests and an enduring curiosity about the quirks of human behaviour. His writing continues to challenge assumptions, question market narratives and bring clarity to the emotional and cognitive forces behind investing.