Statistical Sleight of Hand: How Good Numbers Hide Bad Investments

Statistical Sleight of Hand: How Good Numbers Hide Bad Investments

From Many Happy Returns by PensionCraft

April 8, 2026 · 40 min · Episode 215

About this episode

This episode explores how statistical manipulation can misrepresent investment quality and discusses the concept of statistical significance.

The investing world runs on numbers. We look at the statistical tricks that make bad investments look good, mediocre track records look brilliant, and risks disappear entirely. And in the Dumb Question of the Week: What makes a finding 'statistically significant'? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares worth up to ‎£⁠100. Just create and verify a Trading 212 Invest or Stocks ISA account, make a minimum deposit of £1, and use the promo code "RAMIN" within 10 days of signing up, or use the following link: Sponsored Link. Terms apply - trading212.com/join/RAMIN When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results. Pies & Autoinvest is an execution-only service. Not investment advice or portfolio management. Automatic investing refers to executing scheduled deposits. You are responsible for all investment and rebalancing decisions. Free shares can be fractional. 212 Cards are issued by Paynetics which provide all payment services. T212 provides customer support and user interface. Terms and fees apply. --- Get in touch 📧 mhr@pensioncraft.com 🎧…

Topics covered

  • investing
  • statistics
  • risk assessment
  • financial literacy
  • investment analysis

Keywords

  • bad investments
  • statistical tricks
  • investment risks
  • statistical significance
  • financial advice

Sponsors

Trading 212

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