The Leading Business Education Network for Doctors, Financial Advisors and Health Industry Consultants

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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A paradox is a statement or situation that seems contradictory but actually makes sense when you think about it more deeply. It challenges logic and often reveals a hidden truth.

FLEXIBLY DOGMATIC PARADOX

The Flexibly Dogmatic Paradox suggests that no matter how sensible your financial planning, investing or wealth management process is there will be uncomfortably long periods when it looks broken. And process is the best way of ensuring you keep standing for something because if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. This is why, when assessing an investment fund, focus 50% on the manager’s character and 50% on their process. Everything else is detail. There are few guarantees in investing, but the fact that markets will batter you emotionally is one of them.

FINANCIAL PARADOX: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/07/27/paradox-of-financial-health/

Example: During volatile times, the temptation to abandon the process is strong. But that’s why it’s there. Process is what forces one fund manager to keep buying unbroken companies when everyone else thinks they’re bust, and another to keep faith with a top-quality company when the mob says it’s too expensive The best fund managers dogmatically stick to their process when it’s out of favor. Then, when it returns to favor, the elastic pings back: they recapture lost ground surprisingly fast. However, every rule has an exception. And spotting the exceptions to their process is something the true greats have a knack for buying and selling.

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Example:  In 2007, US value manager Bill Miller had the makings of an investment legend, but the financial crisis wrecked all that. His process told him to double down into falling share prices, which had worked well for years. But it doesn’t work if the companies go bust, which many of his financial stocks did in 2008.

ADVISORS PARADOX: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/06/20/paradoxical-contradictions-all-financial-advisors-must-know-to-win-clients/

Conclusion

The fact is that no matter how good it is, a process operated without human judgment is just an algorithm. The best fund managers and financial prospectors and sales men/women know this.

They stick dogmatically to their process but somehow remain flexible enough to spot the occasions when it’s about to drive them into a brick wall.

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

EDUCATION: Books

SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit an RFP for speaking engagements: CONTACT: Ann Miller RN MHA at MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com -OR- http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Filed under: CMP Program, Ethics, Experts Invited, finance, Financial Planning, Glossary Terms, Marcinko Associates, mental health, Portfolio Management | Tagged: bill miller, brain, budgeting, CMP, dogmatic, dogmatic paradox, finance, financial planniing, flexibility paradox, flexible, Investing, investing paradox, marcinko david, mental health, money, paradox, personal-finance, US value, wealth management |