Topic: Personal Finance

Illustration of a character wearing a hat covering their ears Research Brief / Investing

Ignorance — About One’s Investments, Anyway — Isn’t Always Bliss

Valentin Haddad’s research looks at the phenomenon of “information aversion,” when individual investors stop tracking their portfolios for fear of bad news

Illustration of a couple depositing money in a large piggy bank Research Brief / Personal Finance

Joint Bank Accounts Make for Happier Couples

Those who keep finances separate are likelier to split up, be less satisfied with their relationship

Person using a computer to check their 401K Research Brief / Retirement Planning

Maximizing Retirement Savings: More Nudging Required

Tweaking 401(k) website design and language can significantly boost worker contributions, yet HR doesn’t always see these opportunities

Downhill race with aerodynamic push cars Research Brief / Investing

Momentum Investing: It Works, But Why?

After a quarter century of sprawling study, it’s time to narrow the focus and settle on an explanation

Stock market ticker displays Feature / Stock Returns

New Appreciation for a Classic Stock Market Gauge

The relationship between short- and longer-term moving averages has strong predictive power for share price returns

Computer screen with stock trading software Research Brief / Trading

One Data Set That Warns Against Margin Trading

As a group, Chinese futures traders more likely to suffer margin call than to profit

Book Review / Behavioral Decision Making

Overcoming Obstacles to Taking Better Care of Your Future Self

Hal Hershfield’s book offers research-backed methods to build a healthier, happier, more financially secure life

Piggy bank over orange background Research Brief / Finance

Oversight of Borrowed Money Creates Animosity

Friends lending to friends, taxpayers bailing out businesses feel it’s still their money and have opinions on how it’s spent

Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance business strategy investing concept. Research Brief / Investing

Political Football: Inclusion of ESG Funds in 401(k)s

In nation accustomed to litigation, availability of funds has varied by U.S. Circuit Court boundary

Illustration of people riding a rollercoaster Research Brief / Investing

Rethinking Buy-and-Hold Investing

The case for using rising market volatility as a signal to pare back on stocks — does higher risk always mean higher return?

Aerial shot of downtown Los Angeles freeways Research Brief / Housing

Rising Rents Force Families to Curtail Spending on Food and Health Care

Cost burdens affect half of U.S. households that rent, as housing shortage worsens

Payday Loan office facade Research Brief / Debt

Sensitivity to Debt Type Predicts Financial Health

Research reveals that those wary of payday loans tend to manage their finances better

YouTube on a tablet computer Research Brief / Consumer Behavior

Taking the Battle for Financial Literacy to Where the Eyeballs Are

Research by Bruce Carlin and Stephen Spiller suggests YouTube videos could help consumers make better money decisions

A castle with a moat Research Brief / Investing

The Moat That Keeps Complex Asset Strategies Profitable

Andrea Eisfeldt finds that hedge funds with infrastructure to execute sophisticated arbitrage crowd out less-expert investors

Monochrome photo of Wall Street Research Brief / Investing

To Wall Street, There’s No Crisis Like a Banking Crisis

Tyler Muir finds that neither war nor deep recession darkens investor sentiment like sudden turmoil in the financial system

A small, medium and large cup of black coffee each in a white cup on a white saucer Research Brief / Consumer Behavior

What’s Behind the Consumer Preference for the Middle Ground

Capturing how decisions are driven by a habitual preference for moderation