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 women sitting in front of her laptop holding her toddler daughter Research Brief / Gender Gap

Long Before COVID-19, School Summer Breaks Disrupted Women’s Careers

Households with kids ages 6 to 12 feel the interruption most

Three girls in green graduation gowns take a selfiea Forecast / Accountable Care Organizations

Los Angeles, Long a Laggard in Education, Gaining Ground on Other Major Metros

Younger residents’ schooling boosts the region’s economic prospects

A beige curtain separates three people in a voting booth shown from below the knee to their feet Research Brief / Politics

Reimbursing Candidate Campaign Contributions Makes Elections More Competitive

Incumbents in France are reelected less often when all candidates can be repaid for personal outlays

Hands holding a framed photograph of a father and son holding a fishing pole Research Brief / Happiness

The Sad Fact of Reminiscing About Good Times

Happy memories of life-stage transitions can be bittersweet

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

Overhead view of a group of workers gathering around desks to confer Research Brief / Organizational Culture

American and Chinese Perceptions of Having a Say at Work

It’s generally a positive in both cultures, but buy-in is more tentative in China

Image of yawning newborn baby in bassinet Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Why the COVID-19 Baby Bust May Be Far Smaller Than Expected

Access to birth control among lower-income women was curtailed by pandemic’s lockdown

Reflection in the mirror of man brushing his teeth Research Brief / Consumer Behavior

Boring Tasks We Abandon Too Soon: a Method to Finish the Job

Pairing the mundane — hand washing, teeth brushing — with more engaging activities

Line of bananas in order of ripeness Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

Gesturing Left to Right for Passage of Time Occurs by Age 6

Cultural norms — reading and the calendar — affect native English-speakers’ motioning constructs

Woman with headphones stands in crosswalk Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

The Connective Pull of Headphones

We literally feel closer to someone we’re hearing via headphones

Collage of trademark symbols Research Question / Investing

Underappreciated Investment Edge: Company Trademark Filings

Not part of financial reporting, trademark activity predicts stock returns

Poster with text that reads, "colorectal cancer screening tests here" Research Brief / Nudges

Cancer-Screening Procrastination Can Be Deadly: a Nudge Lifts Compliance

At-home test for colorectal cancer delivered with a deadline

Research Brief / Supply Chain

Dealers Might Not Profit from Soaring Used-Car Prices

Lenders and private-party sellers constrain a seeming windfall

Research Question / Happiness

As Income Rises, Link Between Meaning and Happiness Weakens

Globally, lower-income people feel a stronger connection