The findings of a new study, Misinformation and the 2010 Election, from the University of Maryland’s World Public Opinion show that 9 in 10 voters in the 2010 election believe they encountered information that was misleading or false, with 56% saying this occurred frequently. The study also concludes that those who watched Fox News almost daily were significantly more likely than those who never watched it to believe misinformation. That’s bad for the public discourse – but it can also be toxic for investment decision-making.

There is no doubt both Google and Facebook are fantastic and wildly innovative companies that have changed consumers’ lives and consumption patterns. What they have not done is changed the rules of investing or altered the limitations posed by a finite economy.