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 a man holding an umbrella standing ina sea of alarm clocks. Research Brief / Nudges

Lack of Urgency Can Undermine a Popular Behavioral Nudge

Encouraging pre-commitment to a future behavior helps people do hard things — but it can backfire

A collage of faces in white frames on a light green background Research Brief / Investing

How a Stock Analyst’s Face Affects Their Earning Estimates

Trustworthy and dominant-seeming men: access to corporate management. Dominant-seeming women: not so much.

A man sitting with his dog on the couch talking to his grandma on a cellphone Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

People Prioritize Shared Experiences, Even When Apart

People will endure inconvenience to synchronize events, regardless of proximity

A side view of feet on a scale Research Brief / Health

Modest Financial Incentives Help with Weight Loss

Tying payments to weight, rather than behaviors, marginally more effective

A crowd of people with their backs facing the viewer Research Question / Investing

When Individuals Concentrate in a Stock, Earnings Surprises Play Out Differently

Price movements can be more extreme

A close-up of soapy green water Research Brief / Debt

The Debt Market’s Indirect Antidote to ESG Greenwashing

Loans that include a sweetener or penalty tied to ESG performance seem to induce more honest reporting

An illustration in green of a lightbulb made up of various icons including a dollar sign, a piggy bank and the earth. Research Brief / Investing

ESG Investors in China Focused on Profit Potential of Climate Change

Less attention to downside of nation’s carbon-neutral goals

Research Brief / Gender

COVID-19 Tactics Varied by Gender Among Brazilian Mayors Running for Reelection

Notable differences in death rates; it appears candidates factored in voter gender bias

Workers in a warehouse putting together packages Research Brief / Productivity

Startling Productivity Leap: an Algorithm, Not a Manager, Assigns Work

Warehouse pickers perceive process to be fairer

A woman with long hair hangs up a for sale sign Research Question / Real Estate

Middlemen: Matchmakers or Sources of Strategic Information?

Probing that question using a database of for-sale-by-owner home listings

An illustration of the word trademark etched on a gear Research Brief / Innovation

Tracking Product Trademarks Expands Understanding of Innovation

R&D outlays and patents alone don’t effectively measure corporate creativity

A graphic illustration of the stock market Research Question / Markets

What Limited Attention Does to Efficient Market Theory

Stocks don’t react to news immediately because, well, we’re human

An illustration of the outlines of a group of men and women, multicolored Research Brief / Gender

The Art of Selling Corporate Gender Equity Initiatives

Workforce doesn’t identify as feminist? Maybe don’t use that word

A view of solar panels on the rooftop and the skyline at dusk Research Brief / Energy

The Relationship Between Adoption of Rooftop Solar and Attachment to One’s Surroundings

Applying the behavioral concept of “place attachment” to the logistics of battling climate change