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.

A man shouts during a congressional town hall meeting on March 13, 2025 in Asheville, North Carolina. Research Brief / Politics

Reducing Partisan Hostility Can Be Surprisingly Simple

Megastudy: strategies reduce political animosity, but don't necessarily improve — and may harm — commitment to democratic principles

Illustration of a man standing outside a large maze made of money. Feature / Retirement Planning

Annuities Turn Savings Into Income – a Must for Retirees – But They’re Unpopular. That Puzzle Now Seems Solvable

Smarter products and policies can connect wary investors to lifetime income

A US map of the location of loan officers. Research Brief / Home Mortgages

Why Lenders Needlessly Deny Tens of Thousands of Mortgage Applications

They hire remote: Loan officers in lower-wage areas lack knowledge about distant markets with strongest loan demand

Exterior photo of Skyline High School in Dallas County, Texas. Research Brief / Taxes

Property Taxes to Fund Schools: Households With Enrolled Children Protest Levies Less Often

When people learn the actual portion of taxes spent on schools, tax protests by parents fall, but protests by nonparents rise

A screenshot of a Polymarket graphic labeled Balance of Power: 2026 Midterms Research Brief / Politics

A Puzzle for US Politics: Slim Majorities in Washington, Wide Vote Margins Back Home

Improved voter targeting and the rise of nationalized campaigns may help explain this disconnect

Saudi Arabian women working in an office. Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

Cultural Norms, From Long Ago, Persist Even as They Clash With a Modern World

The fix is not to dismiss them, but to work with them

Photo on the left is a faucet with water coming out of it. Photo on the right is an agriculture field being watered with irrigation system Research Question / Nudges

Household Waste Reduction Gets a Lot of Study — But Institutional Settings Are the Bigger Opportunities

Growing tension between behavioral research focused on the individual and the study of societal systems

Denied rubber stamp on white background. Research Brief / Consumer Lending

Privacy Comes at a Cost for Fintech Borrowers

Consumers in India welcomed an end to intrusive data mining, but it made it harder to get the loans

An illustration denoting the political divide in the U.S. with four hands holding ballots on the left with a blue overlay a ballot box in the middle and four hands holding ballots on the right with a red overlay. Research Brief / Politics

A Small Shift in Voter Composition in Primaries Could Push the US Away from Extremism

The centrist-minded are often no-shows when their parties are choosing candidates for general elections

A white man wearing a business suit sitting at a desk throws his desk phone in a fit of anger. Research Brief / Artificial Intelligence

AI Chatbots That Lead With Empathy Can Help Manage Workplace Anger

When AI acknowledges feelings, resistance to the technology melts

Twin brothers sitting on sofa, facing each other, smiling Research Brief / Startups

That Silicon Valley Founder Reminds Me of His VC!

Warning: Opting to fund one’s look-alike leads to lower returns

Two different mocked up advertisements for a bank. Research Brief / Marketing

Ads Using Personalized Tracking Raised Privacy Concerns. The Substitute Isn’t Problem-Free

The spots, aimed at demographic groups, can feel like stereotyping, even discriminatory

Young Hispanic woman is getting vaccinated by a professional medical worker wearing gloves in a doctor's office Research Brief / Nudges

Beyond One-Size-Fits-All Nudges

Messages tailored to past vaccination behavior can meaningfully boost uptake for some

Blank faded social security card on white background top view Research Brief / Nudges

Simple Prompts Reduce Common Fear of Social Security ‘Going Broke’

Reminding people that payroll taxes will keep flowing in — even after the trust funds hit zero — helps them understand benefits won't disappear