This paper investigates discount pricing, the common marketing practice whereby a price is listed as a discount from an earlier, or regular, price.  We discuss two reasons why a discounted price - as opposed to a mearly low price - can make a rational consumer more willing to purchase the...

This paper surveys models of markets in which some consumers are "savvy" while others are not.  We discuss when the presence of savvy consumers improves the deals available to non-savvy consumers in the market (the case of search externalities), and when the non-savvy fund generous deals for...

In the wake of the financial crisis, several countries are to ban commission payments to improve the quality of financial advice. This paper investigates the potential impact of commission bans on the source and quality of financial advice. To this end, we extend Inderst and Ottaviani's (2012)...

The paper presents findings of a large study on socio-economic impacts of the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster on the Japanese agriculture and food sector. It contains fourteen parts: introduction with the framework of analysis; a brief description of events and...

Studies on private pension provision products have been focusing increasingly on the level of information among consumers. With the aid of a representative panel survey, this essay looks at more extensive approaches to an explanation for restraints on the demand side that may obstruct preference...

The paper gives an overview of state consumer policy initiatives that the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) is (co-)responsible for, with respect to financial services in general, and Riester-Rente products specifically. Der Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über...

A series of food scandals has indicated lately that misdirected economic incentives, in conjunction with a lack of norms to abide by the law, induce non-compliance with food regulations and thus behavioural food risks. Against this background, we outline both the specific need for regulation and...

In the course of the ongoing debate regarding the critique of the German Riester pension the Swedish premium pension has often been referred to as a role model regarding potential amendments and reforms. The Swedish pension reform of 1998 has led to a reorganization towards a stratified scheme,...

There is still much controversy concerning Riester pensions. A decade after the introduction of funded pensions, criticism has turned to product quality and the lack of basic information for consumers. The design and implementation of the Riester pension shows problems. The paper proposes...

The coalition agreement of November 2013 includes a number of specific and ambitious goals relating to economic and social development. For instance, investment in infrastructure is to be increased and the income situation of certain groups of pensioners and employees improved through higher...