Objectives and Scope. The Academy of Behavioral Finance & Economics offers a dedicated forum for exchange of research findings and professional advancement related to the fast-growing field of behavioral finance and economics. Given the well-recognized reality that "to make a decision, emotion is the necessary trigger (and) without emotion, one would be reduced to the state of an idiot savant who goes on endlessly calculating without the ability to make a choice" (Olsen, 2008), the objective of the annual conference is to encourage and distribute research and inquiry in the very promising area of Behavioral Finance and Economics.

Theoretical and empirical/experimental works that involve the application of psychology and neuroscience to all areas of financial decision-making and practice will be considered for presentation at the meeting. This includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:

1. Investment in and Workings of Financial Markets at all levels of functionality and capital allocation—including both public and private aspects;
2. Financial Management of Companies-both public and private entities;
3. Firm Entry and Exit Process-ranging from startup ventures to mature businesses;
4. Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Venture Capital;
5. Employee Benefits and Retirement Planning;
6. All other Business and Economic Endeavors that Involve Human Decision Making and Choice Under Conditions of Risk and Uncertainly;
7. Teaching and Learning-ranging from case development to other pedagogical issues.

The Journal of Behavioral Finance & Economics- JBF&E. Upon request of interested presenters, a few carefully selected and further reviewed papers will be published in The Journal of Behavioral Finance & Economics- JBF&E. For submissions considerations please see the related deadline at the end of this announcement.

Award for the Best Doctoral Student Paper in Behavioral Finance. Upon request at the time of submission, all papers submitted by doctoral students from across the world will be further reviewed by our Program Committee, and up to three (3) Best Papers will be selected for special recognition at our 2013 ABF&E Annual Meeting. Recognition includes:

1. Presenting the "Award Certificate for the Best Doctoral Student Paper in Behavioral Finance",
2. Awarding a $500.00 prize check that can be used toward expenses for attending the conference,
3. Publishing, upon the winners' request, the selected papers in The Journal of Behavioral Finance & Economics- JBF&E

Conference Proceedings. Abstracts of papers accepted and presented at the Annual Meeting will be published in digital format in the Conference Proceedings.

Submission of Papers for Presentation. To submit your paper, simply click on the following URL and follow the related instructions. The submission fee is $35.00. To submit, click here: http://www.aobf.org/papersubmissionform.php

Submission Deadline is April 19, 2013

Notifications of results will be emailed to all respondents by May 15, 2013

Special Sessions and Panels. Persons interested in organizing a Special Session or Panel should submit a letter of interest, along with a short bio using the deadline and instructions above.

Terms and Conditions of Paper Acceptance
If your paper is accepted for presentation at the Annual Meeting, you agree to the followings:

1. The presenting author(s) will be required to present the paper in a professional manner and as assigned.
2. The presenting author(s) will be required to pre-register for the Conference within two weeks of the paper's acceptance by paying in full the due Conference Registration Fee of $259.00. Only half of the paid registration fee ($130.00) is refundable if cancellation is made within one month after the issuance of the Acceptance Letter. Otherwise, no refund will be issued. (There is a $60.00 discount for doctoral students if payment made as instructed.) Payment must be made via our secure and fully Online Registration and Payment System. To register and pay the due fees, please click on the "2013 Conference" menu item our Web site www.aobf.org and select "Registraion.Conference.2013".
3. If the presenting author(s) does not register as stated above, the paper will be cancelled and the space will be released to the authors with accepted papers on the Waiting List. Letters of acceptance will be sent electronically by May 15.
4. Each presenting author whose paper is accepted for presentation will be required to discuss another colleague's paper. Presenting authors will be sent a preliminary version of the program in late-June, and asked to identify papers which they would like to discuss at the Meeting. Requests to discuss specific papers will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. If a presenting author does not submit her/his choices for papers to discuss, the Program Chair(s) will assign her/him a paper.

Conference Time Line and Deadlines:

1. April 19- Last Day to Submit a Paper or a Proposal for a Special Session for the planned Annual Meeting
2. May 15- Notifications of Submission Results will be emailed to all respondents
3. May 31- Presenters' Registration Fees are due- please refer to Acceptance Letters
4. July 15- Abstracts for the Proceedings of the Academy of Behavioral Finance & Economics- 2013 Annual Meeting book are due to the Academy's office; this is the deadline for your abstract being considered for inclusion in the said book. Abstracts to be emailed to: staff@aobf.org.
5. July 20- Last Day to Register for the Conference at the rate of $259.00 ($199.00 for doctoral students). After this date rates will be $299.00 ($249.00 for doctoral students).
6. August 15- Full Papers are due to the Academy's office for forwarding to Session Chairs and Discussants. Files to be emailed to: staff@aobf.org.
7. August 22- Full Papers to be sent out by the Academy's staff to all Session Chairs and Discussants.
8. September 17 (Tuesday) 2:00- 5:00 PM; Day 1 of the Conference which includes Registration, Reception, Networking and a Special Event. Room: TBA.
9. September 18-20 (Wednesday-Friday): Full conference days, starting with breakfast at 8:00 AM and ending at 5:00 PM; Room: TBA.
10. September 20: (Friday) 5:00 PM Conclusion of the Conference
11. October 31st: For interested authors, completed manuscripts are due for consideration in The Journal of Behavioral Finance & Economics-JBF&E. Submission instructions: Please prepare:
    1. a copy of your final manuscript in PDF format where the cover page of your paper contains only the title (for anonymous review),
    2. a cover letter containing your affiliation and contact information. Email both documents to staff@aobf.org for consideration. And,
    3. a submission fee of $100.00 to be paid at the time of submission via this URL