Since July 1993, Prof. Dr. Hartmut Walz has provided education in behavioral economics with a focus on finance in the Department of Services and Consulting at the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society. Exactly 33 years later, he celebrated his retirement from the Department and received his letter of retirement effective August 31, 2026.
A native of Pforzheim (born in 1960), he provided education on financial literacy, financial services for retail investors, asset classes and investment vehicles, as well as financial psychology and behavioral finance. His core area of expertise was the intersection of economics and psychology. “For over 30 years, Prof. Dr. Hartmut Walz was a dedicated university professor with a great passion: consumer protection in monetary and financial investments. Beyond his education work, he was actively involved in this field both at the university and beyond, including in the ‘50 PLUS’ lecture series and the ‘Financial Discussions’ series he initiated,” said University President Prof. Dr. Gunther Piller on the occasion of his retirement.
After completing a banking apprenticeship and gaining practical experience, Hartmut Walz studied business administration, economics, and business education at the University of Mannheim. There, he earned his doctorate in 1991 with summa cum laude honors for his dissertation on the quality of advice in financial services for private individuals.
Walz is committed to consumer protection in the areas of investments, insurance, and retirement planning. He is a fellow of the citizens’ movement Finanzwende e.V., a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Bund der Versicherten e.V., a member of the DIN Standards Committee for Services (NADL) on “Financial Services for Private Households,” and a member of the Präventionsnetzwerk Finanzkompetenz e.V. (PNFK). In addition, he has published several books and numerous articles on monetary and financial issues, including the guidebook *Einfach genial entscheiden* (Simply Brilliant Decisions), published by Haufe, and *Beraten statt Verraten* (Advise Instead of Betray), published by FAZ-Buchverlag. He has also been a columnist for the daily newspaper Rheinpfalz for many years and provides investment and financial advice for private investors in the “Hohe Kante” column.
