Gosling's Grouse: The communication challenge for asset managers

Market wobbles make you realise how little ordinary investors know about the markets, bringing to the fore the challenge we face as an industry to communicate, writes Lawrence Gosling.

“You are looking very relaxed,” said the electrician I met on holiday. “Well, I am on holiday,” I said, as we sat in the pub watching the Athletics World Championships, “Why wouldn’t I be?” “Because the Chinese economy is collapsing, isn’t it?” he said. That was ‘Black Monday,’ and it was quickly followed by Terrible Tuesday, Woeful Wednesday, Thrilling Thursday and then, ‘Flip-flop Friday,’ all of which passed the electrician by. On Terrible Tuesday he asked me if the market wobbles would affect his pension. I went through a quick explanation about how the ‘woes’ of the Chinese...