● It’s on You: How Corporations and Behavioral Scientists Have Convinced Us That We’re to Blame for Society’s Deepest Problems
Nick Chater and George Loewenstein
Summary via publisher (Basic Venture)
Two decades ago, behavioral economics burst from academia to the halls of power, on both sides of the Atlantic, with the promise that correcting individual biases could help transform society. The hope was that governments could deploy a new approach to addressing society’s deepest challenges, from inadequate retirement planning to climate change—gently, but cleverly, nudging people to make choices for their own good and the good of the planet. It was all very convenient, and false. As behavioral scientists Nick Chater and George Loewenstein show in It’s on You, nudges rarely work, and divert us from policies that do. For example, being nudged to switch to green energy doesn’t cut carbon, and it distracts from the real challenge of building a low-carbon economy.
Monthly Archives: January 2026
Foreign Bonds Lead US Fixed Income In 2026
Diversifying into foreign bond markets has been a winning trade for US investors during the opening month of 2026. Using a set of ETFs to track performance highlights widespread outperformance so far this year over US bonds, based on returns through yesterday’s close (Jan. 29).
The Fed’s Job Isn’t Getting Any Easier
The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged yesterday, as expected, but the challenges are increasing for identifying the right monetary policy for the path ahead.
Is Weak Consumer Sentiment Flashing A Economic Warning?
Confidence in the economy fell sharply in January, slumping to a 12-year low, according to the Conference Board latest survey data. On its face, the sharp drop raises questions about consumer spending in the months ahead. But until there’s confirmation in the hard data, it’s best to view the polling cautiously and look for supporting context in other numbers.
Fed Rate Cuts On Hold Till June, According To Market Forecasts
The Federal Reserve is expected to leave its target rate unchanged at tomorrow’s policy meeting, marking a shift after three straight cuts in 2025. Keeping rates steady is the current outlook until June, but several factors are in play that could change the calculus in the weeks ahead.
Commodities Lead Major Asset Classes So Far In 2026
Prices for raw materials have rocketed higher so far this year, outperforming the rest of the major asset classes by a wide margin through Friday’s close (Jan. 23), based on a set of ETFs. Foreign stocks are currently strong, but they remain distant second‑place winners.
Book Bits: 24 January 2026
● Exile Economics: What Happens if Globalisation Fails
Ben Chu
Essay by author via The Next Big Idea Club
The idea that we should reduce dependence on foreigners has been with us for thousands of years. Take the ancient Greek Cynics. Diogenes, who famously lived in a barrel in the marketplace of Corinth, believed that self-sufficiency—living with only what you truly needed—was the highest moral state… This instinct that we are safer, purer, or more virtuous alone is remarkably resilient. It appears under every ideological banner: religious and secular, left and right, nationalist and cosmopolitan, capitalist and communist. So it’s no surprise to see it re-emerge today in debates over trade, global supply chains, and “decoupling.”
Will US Q4 Growth Exceed Q3’s Strong Pace?
Economic activity grew at a strong pace in the second and third quarters, according to official GDP data published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The party continued in Q4, based on a widely followed nowcast that projects that the robust expansion in the two previous quarters will accelerate in the government’s delayed GDP report due next month.
Foreign Stocks Extend Lead Over US Shares In 2026
It was a vintage performance. President Trump skewered the edifice of globalization yesterday at World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Lest anyone miss the message, he claimed that “The United States is keeping the whole world afloat” and that the status quo would no longer endure.
Will The Supreme Court Expand Trump’s Influence Over The Fed?
It comes down to the meaning of two words: “for cause.” Hanging in the balance: the President’s ability to control how the Federal Reserve conducts monetary policy.