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

Woman shopping for a new home Research Brief / Personal Finance

How Will You Spend Your IPO Windfall?

“Uh, I already bought a house”: Tech workers spend ahead of actual stock sales

Two people smiling Feature / Retirement Planning

Helping People Make Wise Decisions for Retirement Income

Nudges, long aimed at saving behavior, are needed for people converting a nest egg into income

Illustration of a woman meditating Research Brief / Personal Finance

Good Information Alone Won’t Drive Financial Well-Being

A review of academic research finds the path to saving more and spending less often involves emotional prompts

Research Brief / Nudges

Fresh-Start Framing Boosts Retirement Plan Participation

A behavioral nudge passes a real-world test with 6,000 workers

Woman paying bills with a computer Research Brief / Student Loans

Education Pays Off Handsomely, but Borrowing for It Makes People Unhappy

Student debt weighs on happiness more than mortgages or credit card loans

A person crossing the street and holding three Gucci shopping bags Research Brief / Nudges

Does Spending Mean You’re Wealthy?

To many, yes, and that belief leads to lower levels of financial well-being

Close-up angled image of someone's eye. The eye is reflecting a beach landscape Research Brief / Personal Finance

Do Money Troubles Make It Harder to Daydream?

Popular notion that the poor console themselves with fantasy is perhaps more a comfort to the rich

Elderly couple looking through paperwork and receipts Research Brief / Banking

Did Bank Capital Rules Make Credit Card Borrowing More Expensive?

Though defaults are low, rates on credit card loan-backed notes are high

People in line outside the Bank of China Research Brief / Cultural History

Culture Affects How People Save Money

Immigrants show saving tendencies that carry through several generations

Overview of a downtown city scape Research Brief / Unemployment

Consumer Spending and Jobless Data: a Peculiar Threshold

A 12-month high in local unemployment triggers savings behavior

A mobile phone showing cashless payments Research Brief / Personal Finance

Cashless Payments: Faster Transactions, Easier Borrowing and Increased Household Income

System provides digital record of payments for India’s vast self-employed ranks, satisfying lenders, and raising the likelihood of starting a business

Illustration of people as wind-up toys Research Brief / Retirement

Americans Sacrifice $3.4 Trillion by Claiming Social Security Too Soon

Can nudges, tailored to personality traits, persuade retirees to wait?

Visual illustration of data Research Brief / Investing

A Solution to the Debate over Momentum’s Cause?

Investors may underreact when information arrives in small, continuous bits

Illustration of bond certificates as a boat in the ocean filled with water Research Brief / Bond Market

A ‘Safer’ Treasury Bond

The government’s floating rate notes feature an added measure of security: higher interest earnings in times of rising rates

An older man fills out forms in front of a bank teller while an older woman on the right talks to a bank teller. Research Brief / Banking

Mobile Banking, a Boon to Many, Disadvantages Those Who Bank at Branches

Banks close neighborhood outlets and raise prices for branch-delivered services