Using laboratory markets where accounting regimes can be directly compared with equivalent economic parameters, we test whether and how two different accounting measurement bases – historical cost and mark-to-market – influence trader perceptions and asset mispricing. Across three...

We study a regulation that increased mutual funds' risk salience through name change. Using daily fund flow data and several identification strategies, we find that requiring certain fixed income mutual funds to affix an exclamation mark ("!") to their names caused a statistically and...

Pump-and-dump schemes (P&Ds) are pervasive in the cryptocurrency market. We find that P&Ds lead to short-term bubbles featuring dramatic increases in prices, volume, and volatility. Prices peak within minutes and quick reversals follow. The evidence we document, including price run-ups before...

We study the Chinese government's stock market bailout operation in 2015. We focus on the bailout's opaque nature and explore its unintended consequences in both asset prices and investor behavior. We find that: (1) the market overreacts to the bailout news under partial information, which leads...

In contrast to the popularity of financial education interventions worldwide, studies on the economic effects of those interventions report mixed results. With a focus on the effect on disadvantaged groups, we review both the theoretical and empirical findings in order to understand why this...

We study how Small Business Administration (SBA) employees respond to salient defaults. Using novel data to identify employees transferring across SBA offices, we find that defaults on SBA loans in their previous workplace reduce SBA loans in their current workplace. The effect is independent of...

Despite the acknowledged importance of agent banking, limited research explains ground-level practices and challenges backed by data. Based on extensive fieldwork spanning approximately 1000 person-days across 301 locations, this report aims to advance the understanding of India's agent banking...

Using machine learning-based algorithms, we measure key impressions about sell-side analysts using their LinkedIn profile photos. We find that analysts’ trustworthiness (TRUST) and dominance (DOM) are positively associated with forecast accuracy, especially after recent in-person meetings...

Bank stability depends critically on the ability to connect and retain customers amid negative shocks. This study proposes a novel measure of accumulated customer capital at the branch level. In a within bank-county estimation, we exploit reputation damage as exogenous negative shocks to...

Popular zero-commission stock trading apps like Robinhood innovate in user-experience design, featuring digital engagement practices and prompts that appeal to investors’ psychology and make it easy and fun to trade. These include leaderboards of popular stock, push notifications, and visual...