Kiasu

Filed Under » ,
Dictionary Says

Definition of 'Kiasu'

A Chinese adjective used to describe a person's fear of losing out (to someone else). Kiasu is a traditional Chinese word, but is most popular in Singapore. It translates roughly as "scared to lose".
Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains 'Kiasu'

Kiasu describes being (or a person who is) greedy, unwilling to share, or competitive in order to advance one's self. Examples of Kiasu include driving aggressively to get to the front of a traffic line or registering young children early at top schools, prior even to knowing the child's aptitude. Kiasu describes the idea that one must outdo and outshine all others, have more of any given thing, pay the least amount for items (thereby getting the best deal) and always be the first or best.

This concept has been applied to such financial ideas as marketing campaigns, store sales and understanding market psychology.

Articles Of Interest

  1.

    Owners Can Be Deal Killers In M&A

    A merger and acquisition advisor is often the best choice when selling a company.

  2. The Financial Markets: When Fear And Greed Take Over

    If these unpleasant emotions are allowed to influence your decision-making, they may cost you dearly.

  3. Losing Money? Don't Blame Your Broker

    Tempting as it is to pass the buck for your losses, the true culprit may be closer to home.

  4. How To Avoid Falling Prey To The Next Madoff Scam

    Due diligence does work, but the loose reporting standards for hedge funds make extra care and attention necessary.

  5. Due Diligence In 10 Easy Steps

    Got a hot stock tip? Follow up on it with these tips to avoid getting burned.

  6. How Risk Free Is The Risk-Free Rate Of Return?

    This rate is rarely questioned - unless the economy falls into disarray.

  7. Top 4 Most Scandalous Insider Trading Debacles

    Here we look at some of the landmark incidents of insider trading.

  8. Nobel Winners Are Economic Prizes

    Before you try to profit from their theories, you should learn about the creators themselves.

  9. The Nash Equilibrium

    Nash Equilibrium is a key concept of game theory, which helps explain how people and groups approach complex decisions. Named after renowned mathematician John Nash, the idea of Nash Equilibrium ...

  10. Pitfalls Of Copycat Investing

    While it may sound good in theory to attempt to mimic the investment style and profile of a successful institution, it is often much harder (if not impossible) to do so in practice.
comments powered by Disqus
Marketplace
Hot Definitions

  1. Network Effect

    A phenomenon whereby a good or service becomes more valuable when more people use it. The internet is a good example...

  2. Racketeering

    Racketeering refers to criminal activity that is performed to benefit an organization such as a crime syndicate. Examples of racketeering activity include...

  3. Lawful Money

    Any form of currency issued by the United States Treasury and not the Federal Reserve System, including gold and silver coins, Treasury notes, and Treasury bonds. Lawful money stands in contrast to fiat money, to which the government assigns value although it has no intrinsic value of its own and is not backed by reserves.

  4. Fast Market Rule

    A rule in the United Kingdom that permits market makers to trade outside quoted ranges, when an exchange determines that market movements are so sharp that quotes cannot be kept current.

  5. Absorption Rate

    The rate at which available homes are sold in a specific real estate market during a given time period.

  6. Yellow Sheets

    A United States bulletin that provides updated bid and ask prices as well as other information on over-the-counter (OTC) corporate bonds...
Trading Center