The Latest

Protest outside the White House Feature / Behavioral Economics

How to Harness Individual Outrage for Lasting Social Change

A practical guide to enlisting, mobilizing and continually engaging like-minded people

Illustration of a man and woman pushing grocery carts with equations and clouds as a background Research Brief / Home Mortgages

Mortgage Prepayments: Factors beyond Interest Rate Movements

A model estimates the impact of economic variables on the pricing of prepayment risk

Suburban neighborhood Research Brief / Investing

Single-Family Rentals: What Drives Investor Return?

A unique data set provides fresh insights for the growing institutional investor market

Strawberry fields with a train in the background Research Brief / Sustainability

Crop Choices: How Price Supports Can Contribute to Healthier Diets

Well-designed subsidies can help farmers and give consumers better food choices

Students walking on a path on campus Research Brief / Diversity

Sizing Up the Measurable Good of Affirmative Action

An economic model sets aside who loses and focuses on efficiency and overall growth

A group of people on separate phone lines Research Brief / Markets

Financial Constraints on Intermediaries Cause Asset Mispricing

Real-world bond data reveals how the capital positions and liquidity of middlemen affect prices of securities they broker

Airplanes parked Research Brief / Accounting

Why Corporate Leasing Practices Deserve More Respect

Most companies use asset leasing for business reasons, not accounting window dressing

Sepia photo of four farmers Research Brief / Gender Gap

A History of Plough-Based Farming Leads to Fewer Girls

Modern-day gender ratios are linked to countries’ agricultural roots

Illustration of a man looking at a carrot while a magnet opens his head Research Brief / Nudges

Behavioral Economics: Are Nudges Cost-Effective?

A team of experts makes the financial case that governments should spend more on nudging

Illustration of a man stressed by laptops, smartphones Research Brief / Investing

How Tech’s Disruption Alters Investors’ Appetite for Risk

New technology’s upending of the old creates demand for alternative assets to offset risk

Tennis player Nick Kyrgios Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

In Adversity, Some High Performers Give Up Rather than Dig In

The world of tennis sheds light on a potential downside to office ranking systems

Street signs Research Brief / Interest Rates

Are Interest Rates Really So Low?

Adjusting for inflation — and, crucially, for taxes — shows bond investors fare better than they might think

Illustration of hands raised in blue, with one hand colored red Feature / Politics

Campaign Contributions Swayed by Neighbors’ Politics

A field experiment using public donation data indicates peer pressure matters

Computer model of chromosomes unwinding Feature / Health Care

BRCA Mutation: New Model Quantifies How Surgeries Reduce Cancer Risk

Informed by personal experience, a researcher parses data to help those mulling mastectomy and gynecological surgeries

Woman with a laptop and smartphone Research Brief / Retirement Planning

Thinking Small Could Deliver Bigger Retirement Success for Gig Workers

Daily, weekly and monthly contribution schemes gauge behavior

Illustration of workers pedaling to power a computer Research Brief / Sustainability

Green Initiatives — By Themselves — Won’t Boost Productivity

Environmentally conscious companies that also instill teamwork and quality enjoy higher output