Carla Fried

Writer

About

Carla Fried is a freelance journalist who specializes in personal finance, with a keen interest in how behavioral issues impact consumer decisions. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Money magazine, Barron’s, Bloomberg, CNBC and Consumer Reports.

An illustration of an Adderall pill Research Brief / Bias

We Think Illegal Products Are More Effective

Because they’re harder to get, we assume they’re more potent — and thus preferable over legal ones.

Focused bearded man in a business casual outfit holding a tablet while presenting to a colleague in a modern office setting. Research Brief / Workplace

How White Men, Discussing Race and Gender Inequities, Can Gain Credibility

Adding a note of personal advocacy to any factual statement helps a lot

Blue megaphones in a row with one of them is in orange color on blue background. Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

Those Offering Opinions Are Better Remembered Than Those Uttering Facts

And recall of the source affects how we interpret information — and how we might act upon it

Three rows of bright abstract textured multicolored emoticons. Research Brief / Happiness

The Surprising Relationship Between Empathic Skill — the Ability to Read Others’ Feelings — and One’s Own Happiness

A surer path to contentedness might be believing one possesses empathy, even if one doesn’t

Vector logo of a clock flowing into dollar symbol Research Brief / Retail

Expedited Delivery Is Widely Offered, But Might It Damage Brand Loyalty?

A surcharge for speediness is regarded as a profit grab, while a discount for slowness seems somehow more fair

Rear view of students attentively listening to male teacher in the classroom who is standing in front of a whiteboard with a math problem written on it. Research Brief / Nudges

Nudging Teachers, in a Large Field Study, Marginally Boosted Student Math Performance

Fifteen nudges tried out across 140,000 teachers and some 3 million students

A closed bank with a red closed sign over it all blurred Research Brief / Banking

Rise of Nonbank Lenders Undermines Community Reinvestment Act Effectiveness

Traditional banks pull out of lower- and median-income neighborhoods the federal program aims to help

Steve Carrell playing Michael Scott on "The Office." Research Brief / Gender

Being Passionate About Your Job Works … If You’re a Man

When being evaluated for ‘high potential’ programs, men are rewarded for showing emotion — women are penalized

Grandmother and granddaughter women double exposure image. Research Brief / Wealth

Wealth Building Behavioral Trait Holds Up in Large-Scale Study

Feeling connected to — not estranged from — our older self is associated with savings and other helpful present-day behaviors

A line of 13 members of a family lined up to the mother at Ellis Island Research Brief / Globalization

Big Families — and Overall Population Growth — Lead People to Emigrate

Europe’s Great Migration to North America, 1850-1920, offers lessons for today’s immigration patterns

A cotton field in India. Research Brief / Economics

Locally, the Extent of British Rule in India Still Holds Back Economic Opportunity

Areas under direct rule lost the components of human capital

An aerial view of homes which burned in the Eaton Fire on January 21, 2025 in Altadena, California. Research Brief / Global Warming

LA Residents Exposed to Wildfire Smoke Face Heightened Health and Financial Risk

Far from burn zones, especially for renters and those with iffy credit, money troubles follow fires

Research Brief / Banking

A Quiet Expansion of Deposit Insurance Could Disrupt U.S. Banking

Seen as a backstop to small- and midsized banks, the program, allowing insurance in multiples of $250,000, alters banking’s risk calculus

A sunny afternoon traffic jam in Chengdu, China. Research Brief / Government

Chinese Citizens, Given Voice in Local Budgeting, Are More Satisfied With Country’s Regime — and Want More From It

Taste of democracy engenders the opposite of cynicism