Content Type: Research Brief

A gloomy seascape. Research Brief / Corporate Finance

Looming Risk to Financial System: $1 Trillion in Commercial Loan Pools

Known as collateralized loan obligations, their aim is actually to reduce risk

A women sitting in front of her laptop holding her toddler daughter Research Brief / Gender Gap

Long Before COVID-19, School Summer Breaks Disrupted Women’s Careers

Households with kids ages 6 to 12 feel the interruption most

Screen grab of bank website Research Brief / Mortgage Lending

Local-Level Mortgage Lending: How Competition Pushes Rates Higher, Not Lower

A study finds unexpected impact when a disruptive player enters market

Small town in Colorado with red light on main street downtown and first national bank. Research Brief / Recession

Local Banks Provide an Early Warning System on Recessions

When they’re forced to pay up for deposits, it’s a bad sign for area’s economy

Cube puzzle wooden blocks isolated on white background. Research Brief / Risk Management

Loan Pool Covenants, Meant to Contain Risk, Can Instead Spread It

Forced sale of assets could stretch illiquidity across industries

Research Brief / COVID-19

Link Between Unvaccinated Staff and Nursing Home Deaths

Higher morbidity found where fewer staffers are vaccinated against COVID-19

An industrial chimney emitting smoke Research Brief / Health Care

Like Checking the Weather: Air-Quality App Charts Local Pollution

Information helps users decide when, and whether, to venture outside or exercise

Chalk illustration of a graph Research Brief / Data Analytics

Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics — and Data Visualization

How we interpret time-series data is dependent on the designer’s chosen format

Illustration of vultures sitting on a sign in a city Research Brief / Debt

Less Leveraged Than the Competition: Ready to Snag Distressed Assets in a Recession

When bad times hit, highly indebted companies often have to sell operations and equipment at fire-sale prices

Illustration of a woman crossing a ravine on top of money Research Brief / Venture Capital

Lending to Startups: Not as Risky as You’d Think

Entrepreneurs borrow between equity funding rounds with a strong record of repaying debts

A portrait of King Charles II of Spain. The image depicts the king's Habsburg Jaw. Research Brief / Leadership

Leadership Matters: Countries Suffered Under Poor Quality Monarchs

Measuring inbreeding allows study to isolate rulers from circumstances

Earnings statement Research Brief / Wealth Inequality

Largest Firms’ Stock Gains Skew Big Picture on Worker-Owner Income Division

Wage earners get larger (relative) share at smaller companies, not at giants like Apple, Alphabet and Amazon

An illustration of a man holding an umbrella standing ina sea of alarm clocks. Research Brief / Nudges

Lack of Urgency Can Undermine a Popular Behavioral Nudge

Encouraging pre-commitment to a future behavior helps people do hard things — but it can backfire

Side-by-side view of the Robert Taylor housing project in Chicago before and during demolition. Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Kids Who Moved from Public Housing More Likely to Vote as Adults

Demolition of Chicago projects dispersed thousands to other areas

Two doctors performing surgery Research Brief / Health Care

Kidney Transplant Outcomes Suffer at Clinics That Add Liver Transplants

Younger-patient mortality rate nearly triples, 20 years of data indicate

Monochrome photo of FDR Research Brief / Economics

Keynes vs. FDR: Lessons from the Great Recession

Sebastian Edwards finds Keynes’ public take-down of Roosevelt’s gold policies still relevant today