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November 4, 2025Concealed Deals Drive Up 401(k) Fees
When mutual funds share revenue with plan administrators, employees get higher costs and lower performance -
August 26, 2025Lowering Commissions Can Slow Home Sales
Real estate agents steer buyers away from properties that pay less than local going rates -
July 2, 2025Retirement Is About Confidence as Well as Money
Feeling financially savvy is as important as actually being savvy, when it comes to easing retirement anxiety -
June 26, 2025The Bold Place Bets on the VIX
For investors who can stomach the risk, Wall Street’s ‘fear index’ leads to potential gains -
June 18, 2025When Credit Is Low, Car Dealers Offer a Break
Rather than exploiting buyers with low credit scores, dealers lose an average of $301 arranging loans to them -
April 30, 2025Spurned CEOs May Become Activist Shareholders
Campaigns by former executives are relatively common and successful -
April 24, 2025Higher Wealth Taxes Equal Less Philanthropy
Charitable donations fall when wealth taxes rise, but allowing larger deductions can help maintain giving -
April 2, 2025Settlement Could Lower Cost of Buying a Home
Deal could boost competition and reduce real estate commissions -
January 14, 2025When You Tax People’s Wealth, They Save More
A wealth tax in Norway inspired people to retire later and increase their savings but not to spend or invest less -
December 11, 2024Year-End Roundup
Uber rides can decrease hate crimes, waits can be made less annoying, and AI can tackle big problems -
December 10, 2024Supersized Companies Are an Economic Drag
As businesses get bigger, financial concentration slows U.S. investments and economic growth -
October 3, 2024Want To Be Acquired? Advertise
Companies that do more advertising attract more potential buyers and higher prices -
May 31, 2024Uncovering COVID-19 Loan Fraud Schemes
How 2 McCombs Researchers Exposed Online Lenders Based on the Research of John Griffin and Samuel Kruger As John Griffin was casually opening his work email on a Saturday morning in August 2021, he found a threatening letter from a… -
March 26, 2024Corporations Use Government Grants To Lighten Debt Load
Government cash grants are a growing but under-disclosed source of corporate financingBased on the research of Lillian Mills and Ryan HessLocal and state governments have a variety of tools at their disposal to attract businesses or entice them to stay…. -
February 22, 2024Entrepreneurs’ Stock Losses Bruise Their Businesses
Company growth stalls when an owner’s personal portfolio takes a hit Based on the research of Marius Ring When a recession takes a bite out of an entrepreneur’s personal stock portfolio, does that person’s business suffer more than those of older… -
November 15, 2023Uncovering COVID Loan Cons
How McCombs professors exposed online lenders for facilitating $64 billion in taxpayer rip-offs McCombs finance faculty members John Griffin and Sam Kruger uncovered massive fraud in the federal Paycheck Protection Program, a government program that lent money to businesses during the… -
October 25, 2023Underwriting Fraud Imperils Commercial Mortgage Bonds
Inflated underwriting could turn the reboot of commercial mortgage-backed securities into a crash Based on the research of John M. Griffin Sixteen years ago, bonds based on risky residential mortgage loans fueled the crash that brought on the Great Recession. In new… -
October 11, 2023SEC Insider Trading Rule Has Loopholes
Rule 10b5–1 aims to limit inside trades in the C-suite. How well is it working? Based on the research of Robert Parrino Mention insider trading, and for many, the first image to come to mind is Gordon Gekko from the 1987 film… -
July 26, 2023Investors Want Climate Risk Disclosures
Accelerating climate change sparks greater interest in financial risks for public companiesBased on the research of Laura StarksWhen people feel effects of climate change, it’s often in the form of extreme weather. Businesses, however, may soon feel it in their bank… -
July 5, 2023When Decentralization Does Not Last
Research on DAOs found what works — and what doesn’tBased on the research of Michael SockinOn today’s internet, decentralization has become a major battle cry. In reaction to established social media platforms and search companies like Facebook and Google, where users have no… -
June 28, 2023What Makes Companies Choose Dark Money?
New research sheds light on the strategies corporations use to conceal their political activityBased on the research of Timothy WernerDeep Throat’s advice to reporter Bob Woodward to “follow the money” in the 1976 film “All the President’s Men” still resonates… -
May 17, 2023Investors Miss Out When Tax Deals Are Concealed
Companies that get non-income tax breaks from state and local governments have higher sales and stock returns Based on the research of Brady Williams In 2022, U.S. corporations reaped more than $19 billion in non-income tax megadeals: state and local tax breaks… -
May 4, 2023You May Be Guilting Yourself Short in Salary Negotiations
Job seekers in the era of ‘social impact framing’ are afraid to ask for higher payBased on the research of Insiya HussainFor many companies today, recruiting employees includes luring them with job postings that tout the organization’s altruistic goals, such as… -
March 29, 2023Experts Identify 5 Ways to Address Texas’ Housing Affordability Crisis
Texas ranks 49th in the nation on state spending for housing Driven by inflation, high demand, rising property taxes, and more, housing affordability has become a growing crisis in Texas, according to a brief researchers and policy experts from The… -
March 8, 2023How AI Can Reveal Corporate Tax Avoidance
By applying natural language processing to annual reports, researchers found clues to corporate tax avoidance strategies.Based on the research of Lillian MillsAre the words used in annual reports a key to unlocking the secrets of corporate tax avoidance?When it comes to… -
February 15, 2023One-Time Tax Items Aren’t Earnings Misconduct
Nonrecurring income taxes reflect mostly economic causes, not management manipulation Based on the research of Lillian Mills When investors try to forecast a company’s future earnings by analyzing its current financial statements, a perplexing problem is how to interpret nonrecurring income… -
December 1, 2022COVID ‘Motherhood Penalty’ Affects Academic Research Productivity
During lockdown, production of working research papers in economics and finance increased, except by women between the ages of 35 and 49 Based on the research of Sam Kruger The pandemic had a disproportionate impact on female finance researchers, according… -
November 29, 2022Audits Can Bring Bad News or Benefits to Small Businesses
IRS review might spell the end of a small company — or teach it to be more efficient — according to a new study Based on the research of Andrew Belnap An IRS audit can be a terminal event for a small business, especially… -
November 4, 2022Breaking Good: Focused Work Breaks Boost Productivity
By treating downtime like the sidelines of a sporting event, workers can more quickly get back up to speed Based on the research of Paul Green Workers could be much more productive if they never had to take a break…. -
September 21, 2022Female Execs Hone Customer Strategy
Women in leadership boost customer satisfaction and financials — especially in certain environments Based on the research of Chandra Srivastava and Vijay Mahajan Women in the C-suite are more likely than men to focus on customer relationships, leading certain types of companies… -
June 2, 2022Rule of Law Protects National Economies
When employers and the courts consistently keep promises, workers keep the economy on an even keel Based on the research of William Fuchs In good economic times, workers trust their employer will pay them. But when an economic shock such as… -
January 28, 2022Auditing Committees Hire Handsome Partners
Does your audit committee lack Big Four experience? They’re more likely to select an outside auditor for their good looks. Based on the research of Nicholas Hallman and Steven Kachelmeier Companies and their corporate audit committees — made up of board of director… -
November 29, 2021Workplace Injuries Decline After Private Equity Buyouts
Companies see annual injuries per employee fall by up to 15% following a PE acquisition Based on the research of Jonathan Cohn Private equity firms are sometimes portrayed as aggressive cost-cutters seeking to boost profits of the companies they acquire… -
October 22, 2021Online Attention Predicts Stock Returns
To forecast returns, a new research-based tool tracks internet stock discussion Based on the research of Ashish Agarwal In recent months, so-called meme stocks such as GameStop have confounded traditional Wall Street investors. They’ve demonstrated that social media chatter by… -
May 6, 2021SEC’s Terrorism Focus Hinders Financial Oversight
Flagging possible dealings with a state sponsor of terrorism led to missed errors in financial reporting Based on the research of Matthew Kubic New research finds that when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission flagged a company for possible dealings with… -
April 7, 2021The Role of the Office in a Post-COVID World
A year of remote work will have lasting effects, expert says When COVID-19 emptied office buildings around the globe early last year, workers settled into hastily assembled home offices and hopped on Zoom. Companies carried on, but millions of square… -
March 29, 2021To Guard Against Hostile Takeovers, Worried CEOs Emphasize Bad News
Chief executives focus on the negative to protect their companies, new research shows Based on the research of Shuping Chen “Our profit margins aren’t looking good,” the chief executive glumly told investors listening in on the company’s earnings call. “Unfortunately,… -
March 29, 2021Let Consumers, Not Banks, Control Their Personal Financial Data
The result? Better terms from banks and insurers.Based on the research of Cesare FracassiIn the online world where hackers and cyberthieves lurk, consumers are warned to guard their financial information like it’s a cash-filled Brink’s truck roaming a sketchy neighborhood…. -
January 13, 2021A Learning Revolution
The McCombs response: Necessity closes school’s classrooms and gives birth to innovations By Matt W. Turner Illustration by Michael Driver When the COVID-19 pandemic showed up at The University of Texas at Austin in March — on Friday the 13th, no less — change was… -
January 12, 2021Companies Take Risks When Making Secret Political Contributions
‘Covert’ sponsorship of an embattled nonprofit — identified by a whistleblower — drove investors to sell off companies’ stock Based on the research of Timothy Werner Companies often secretly contribute to political nonprofits to influence public policy. But depending on the organization they contribute… -
January 11, 2021Housing Speculators Could Bring on Repeat Crash
Housing speculation inflated a third of the housing bubble that led to the Great Recession. In parts of the country, it could happen again.Based on the research of Michael SockinIn postmortems on the Great Recession, much blame has fallen on low-income… -
December 3, 2020Fraud Revealed as Key to Financial Crash
Fraud in asset-backed securities was an underrated cause of the most recent financial crash — and it could bring on another one Based on the research of John Griffin If those who can’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it, then… -
November 17, 2020Three Steps to Better Investing
Advice on selecting mutual funds, listening to CEOs, and considering climate change, courtesy of Texas McCombs research If you’re looking to make better investment decisions, it’s a good idea to listen to the experts. And who’s more of an expert… -
October 28, 2020To Demotivate Your Workers, Connect Pay to Hours Clocked
Employees of all ability levels see pay solely based on their hours worked as unfair Based on the research of Eric Chan and Steven Kachelmeier Employers such as law and consulting firms often reward workers for spending long hours in… -
October 14, 2020Why Do Nonprofits Misreport Their Financial Performance? It’s About Manager Pay
When you donate, your money often doesn’t support the nonprofit’s mission as much as it says it does. Based on the Research of Eric Chan Faced with the coronavirus pandemic and economic downturn, many Americans are turning to nonprofits for assistance…. -
August 26, 2020Tether Connection Puts Bitcoin at Risk
An unstable digital currency called Tether, used for trading better-known currencies such as Bitcoin, could crash the whole crypto market Based on the research of John Griffin Price fluctuations have come to be expected for the digital currency Bitcoin. Recently,… -
July 7, 2020Loose Credit Led to Housing Price Bust
Excessive credit supply — not irrational buyer euphoria — was to blame for the 2003–2010 cycle, research shows Based on the research of John Griffin and Sam Kruger When the U.S. housing bubble burst in 2007, the country headed into its worst financial crises… -
April 14, 2020Think Taxes When Shopping Mutual Funds
With the right strategy, mutual fund investors can enjoy both low taxes and high returns Based on the research of Clemens Sialm Illustration by Sébastien Thibault Mutual fund investors are typically allergic to fees, shopping for funds with low expense…