One of the greatest wealth-building tools available, the stock market has long been out of reach for most people. I believe that no one benefits in the long run when we have to depend on other people to invest our money and wealth is increasingly concentrated into fewer and fewer hands.
When I discovered that many top investment advisors and wealthy traders used unique mathematical formulas to invest in the stock market, I decided to try it out myself. Using my own formulas, I found that I could make more money and take less risk, regardless of market performance. In 2004 I used this algorithm to build one of the first online financial technology platforms.
I wanted to share this discovery because I believe anyone—regardless of age, investing experience, or income—should be able to invest in the stock market. In 2013, I founded TradeSmith, which started as a simple way to track portfolios and gradually evolved into a powerful suite of risk-management and portfolio analysis tools. The company grew to over 30,000 investors, who entrusted TradeSmith’s technology with a staggering $20 billion. After 16 successful years, I sold my interest in TradeSmith at the top of the market.
I didn’t sell TradeSmith, however, because I thought I was done; I sold it because I wanted to do more. I have not lost my passion for helping people take back control of their money. Far from it. I will continue to use my experience as a successful investor and my expertise in technology and behavioral finance to level the playing field for people who are eager to understand investing and build wealth.
I am currently working on technology that will help investors better understand and evaluate risk in the market. Most people have no idea how powerful of a tool good risk management is. They look at risk as
something to stay away from. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite. Once you understand risk, you can control it. By taking smart risks, you can truly transform your financial future.
Additionally, I am creating resources to help individual investors better understand how to use investing as a tool to build long-term wealth, avoid common mistakes that even the most seasoned investors make, and tune out daily micro-fluctuations in the market that can mask the actual, meaningful signals.
These ventures all have one thing in common. I am using my experience and expertise to help people and make Tampa, and the world, a better place.
Dr. Richard Smith studied mathematics at University of California, Berkeley and then earned his PhD in Systems Science from the Watson School of Engineering at SUNY Binghamton under the late Professor George Klir. Over the last decade, he has researched and developed algorithms and services that provide investors with tools to develop a systematic approach to investing. Smith has led and exited multiple successful businesses based on his work, and his platforms have been used and trusted by tens of thousands of individual investors managing and tracking billions of dollars. He has been involved with the Foundation for the Study of Cycles for over a decade and currently serves as the Chairman of the Board and CEO.
