Americans vastly underestimate the level of inequality in the US, but are in remarkable agreement about wanting a more equal distribution of wealth. In other words, people want a more equal wealth distribution than they think the US has and which is the actual case.

At any given moment, it's hard to know how much discretionary cash we have. Our bank account balance is an easy, but inaccurate, measure. The timing mismatch and fluctuation of income and bills makes understanding your real balance feel like calculus. Our research looks at how we make allocation decisions, particularly as our budgets grow or shrink. We also develop tools and strategies to reduce the cognitive load required to effectively and efficiently track and maintain an ever-changing budget.

Having a rainy day fund for emergencies is critical for those in the emerging world. Avoiding the cycle of debt can quite literally mean the difference between life and death. Our research focuses on strategies to help people in emerging countries build long-term savings.

Debt can be a major liability on the average U.S. household's balance sheet. Our research looks at how people naturally prioritize debt repayment, and use heuristics that contribute to the higher-than-necessary costs of debt, such as anchoring on maximum loan amount but minimum payments, insensitivity to interest rates, and reduced pain of paying with credit. We explore low-touch interventions that mitigate these natural tendencies.

Whether it's saving for an emergency, building a nest-egg for retirement, investing to grow assets for future generations, or charitable giving, it takes considerable self-control to save for the future rather than give in to the spending temptations of today. Our research explores influences and variances of this, as well as concrete methods that increase motivation and commitment for long-term benefits.

How do we determine what something is worth? We look to all sorts of contextual cues and relative information to understand and assess the pricing and valuation of products.