My August Conversation with Mike Chmielewski on Alaska’s Budget Crisis on Radio Free Palmer. Listen Here http://www.radiofreepalmer.org/2016/08/19/matsu-college-professor-holly-bell-talks-about-budgets-8-10-2016/
Much to the disappointment of many of my friends and readers, I tend to be a rational person. I don’t panic at the latest media or twitter hype. As long as I’m not in danger of a head-on collision requiring immediate action, I like to think about things a bit before I draw any conclusions. …
“I’ll leave labeling the “school” of economics I fall into to others.” By Holly A. Bell When I discuss economic issues people often ask me which “school” of economic thought I subscribe to. This question usually leaves me a bit tongue-tied because my approach to economics doesn’t fit neatly into any specific “school” as they …
The Bell School of Economics: An Holistic and Interdisciplinary Approach Read More »
[repostus hash=2b346fd31b93007a0e56b9f5ca87ae96 title=The+Quest+for+Certainty host=Market+Shadows short=1rjnE snip=The+Quest+for+Certainty+%E2%80%9CAs+far+as+the+laws+of+mathematics+refer+to+reality%2C+they+are+not+certain%3B+and+as+far+as+they+are+certain%2C+they+do+not+refer+to+reality.%E2%80%9D+%E2%80%93+Albert+Einstein+%E2%80%9CTo+trace+something+unknown+back+to+something+known+is+alleviating%2C+soothing%2C+gratifying+and+gives+moreover+a+feeling%26hellip%3B thumb=3138651 jump=5] Return to Home Page Certainty image courtesy of hin255
Redefining Defined Benefit Pensions By Holly A. Bell For most people in the private sector, defined benefit pensions have become a distant memory. Something their grandfather talks about over Thanksgiving dinner while reminiscing about his days at “the plant”. These plans, which guaranteed a certain percentage of a worker’s wages or salary in retirement, have …
Nudging Retirement Savings: A New Approach to Pensions Read More »
When Good Incentives Lead to Bad Decisions (via http://mortgagespectator.com) Among the culprits contributing to the recent financial crisis were bank loan officers who approved mortgage loans that were doomed to fail. Many of these frontline workers were motivated by bonuses and other incentives to approve quantity over quality. Critics decried their voracity. But new …
Financial Markets, Politics, and the New Reality (via Market Shadows) Financial Markets, Politics, and the New Reality Courtesy of John Mauldin at Thoughts from the Frontline If you’ve been following my newsletter, you’re familiar by now with my friend George Friedman and the geopolitical analysis company he founded, Stratfor. And if you’ve read any of …
Financial Markets, Politics, and the New Reality Read More »
Decision-makers perform worse as financial incentives increase Research by behavioral economist Dan Ariely (see video below) found that high financial incentives actually make individuals perform worse than when given low to moderate financial incentives. These results were most dramatic when the tasks involve cognitive elements as opposed to mechanical elements. The reason is that loss …
Do High Salaries & Bonuses Make CEOs Poor Decision-Makers? Read More »
What Penguins Know About Business: The Value of Sharing in Markets From Paul J. Zak at Claremont Graduate University: “There’s nothing new about being shameless, or ruthless and cynical, when it comes to making a buck. Plenty of people in business seem to think that fakery and exploitation is the name of the game. Which …
Why Self-Interest In Markets Can Benefit Everyone Read More »
The rise of the adult playground (via http://www.scenereleases.eu) Glossy exercise machines are cropping up in parks, near the brightly-coloured swings and slides for children. It’s the latest bit of government “nudge theory”, writes Sophie Robehmed. Kids heading down the slide headfirst, babies talking gobbledygook in the sandpit and a golden retriever bounding…
