In 401(k) plans, one of the attractions has always been that employees choose where to invest their retirement funds. The average plan offers 28 options, according to the Investment Company Institute.

Employees might assume those options are picked to serve their best interests. But new research from Clemens Sialm, professor of finance at Texas McCombs, suggests they’re also serving someone else’s interests. Many funds are paying plan administrators to include them in a plan’s menu, a practice called revenue-sharing.

The result: Without knowing it, employees may be offered funds with higher fees and lower performance.

Peppers from Spain or from Germany? When consumers assess the environmental impact of food, their decision largely depends on its origin. This is shown by a new survey by researchers at the University of Göttingen. According to the survey, domestic products in supermarkets are perceived as particularly environmentally friendly. But this impression can be misleading. The results raise questions about the design of labelling and advertising. The study has been published in the journal Food Quality and Preference.

UC Davis study shows surface water prices triple during drought while groundwater prices remain stable over time. It points to the need for joint surface and groundwater management.

A new study published in Economics Letters found that that first-year female college students are experiencing slower academic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic compared to males. 

Reading reviews from others helps inform our decision-making on what to buy, where to visit, or who should provide our services. However, research from Bayes Business School (formerly Cass) suggests writers of online reviews are also more likely to repurchase items or experiences themselves and recommend to others if they are induced to write emotionally rather than factually.

Cambridge researchers have discovered why living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood may be linked to an increase in an individual’s risk of dementia.  In research published today, they show how it is associated with damage to brain vessels – which can affect cognition – and with poorer management of lifestyle factors known to increase the chances of developing dementia.