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Decision Analysis - DA

Categories: Financial Theory

You may have decided which college you were going to by throwing a dart, and you may have gotten married in Vegas to someone you just met at a pai gow table. But, believe it or not, there are better ways to make decisions. On the other side of the spectrum from "eloping with strangers," there's a process called "decision analysis."

DA, as you'd call it over a steak at Delmonico’s, is a formalized process for making decisions. It's basically what happens to "what should I have for dinner" when Phds in economics and game theory get involved.

Decision Analysis provides a systematic approach to making choices, attempting to use codified methods and quantitatives measures to reach an optimal solution. The goal is to take the guesswork and gut-checking out of the process.

Find other enlightening terms in Shmoop Finance Genius Bar(f)