FOMO

Psychologieab 9 J.

Fear of missing out. It drives purchases (“Limited edition!”) and investment decisions (“Bitcoin is rising, I have to get in now!”).

FOMO (fear of missing out) is the fear of missing a good opportunity. In finance, FOMO is one of the most dangerous psychological effects:

FOMO when shopping: "Only 3 left in stock!", "Offer ends in 2 hours!", "Last chance!" – artificial time pressure is meant to push you into buying immediately.

FOMO when investing: "Bitcoin is rising, everyone's making money, I have to get in NOW!" – that's exactly the wrong moment. If you buy in euphoria, you buy at the peak.

Remedy: remember: the best investment is long-term and regular (ETF savings plan), not hectic and emotional. And when shopping: if it sounds "urgent", it's usually marketing.

Did you know? The term FOMO was coined in 2004 by Harvard student Patrick McGinnis. Since social media, FOMO has become a mass phenomenon – and the finance industry exploits it deliberately.

Something missing or could the translation be better?

← Flohmarkt-Verkauf Fonds →

📚 FOMO understood?

Deepen your financial knowledge with 60 free learning modules and 16 calculators.

📚 To the learning paths →

🧮 Calculators 📖 Glossary

📅 Stand: 17. Juli 2026✔️ Redaktionell geprüftÜber SaveFoxy FAQ Fehler melden? Im Lexikon mitmachen