Publications

October 1992 (Revised August 2005)
Background Note

Estate Freeze

By: Henry B. Reiling

The so called estate freeze is a classic estate planning and recapitalization practice. It seeks to reconcile the multiple human and business considerations associated with transferring operating control and the future increases in the value of a family dominated... View Details

Keywords: Personal Finance; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Laws and Statutes; Financial Services Industry; United States

13 Nov 2007
Research & Ideas

Six Steps for Reinvigorating America

to act as "citizen diplomats," spreading greater understanding of our values and helping countries that empower their people and build their economies. Develops an ethos of a community that cares... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

24 Jan 2014
News

Care.com’s IPO Raises about $91m

Keywords: Personal and Laundry Services; Personal and Laundry Services; Personal and Laundry Services; Personal and Laundry Services

10 Jan 2005
What Do You Think?

Public Pension Reform: Does Mexico Have the Answer?

that will be perceived as doing the least harm to a status quo that is not perceived by most (at least in the U.S.) as being currently painful? What kind of trade-offs should be made between personal responsibility, free enterprise, View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Financial Services

01 Dec 2019
News

Accelerating a Gas-on-demand Startup

Service with a Smile: Classmates Nick Alexander (left) and Bryan Frist with one of Yoshi’s service-on-demand vehicles. (photo by Cayce Clifford) The first purpose-built, drive-in gas station opened in... View Details

Keywords: April White; startups; on-demand economy; entrepreneurship; Personal Services

July 2010
Case

Fidelity Retires in Canada

By: Robert C. Pozen and Edward Warren Scott

The head of Fidelity Canada was faced with a decision about what to do with its retirement business there. Although Fidelity as a fund manager has made some headway in Canada, the competition has been very tough for the administration of retirement plans—a separate... View Details

Keywords: Business Exit or Shutdown; Investment Funds; Globalized Firms and Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Retirement; Competition; Financial Services Industry; Canada; United States

Find at Harvard

April 1993
Case

Sumiko Ito

By: David A. Thomas

Describes the life and career of the first Japanese female investment banker at Nomura Securities, Sumiko Ito, who later became a partner at Alex Brown, a U.S. investment bank. Organized around the major life events and career transitions Ms. Ito experienced. Set in... View Details

Keywords: Investment Banking; Personal Development and Career; Gender; Diversity; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Financial Services Industry; Financial Services Industry; Japan; England; United States

2010
Working Paper

A Brief Postwar History of U.S. Consumer Finance

By: Andrea Ryan, Gunnar Trumbull and Peter Tufano

This article describes the consumer finance sector in the US since World War II. We first define the sector in terms of the functions delivered by firms (payments, savings/investing, borrowing, managing risk, and providing advice.) We provide time series evidence on... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Borrowing and Debt; Mortgages; Personal Finance; Business History; Innovation and Invention; Risk and Uncertainty; Financial Services Industry; United States

Read Now

11 Feb 2015
Research & Ideas

Politicians Benefited From Using Toxic Loans

power for more than 20 years). Vallée and Pérignon analyzed how the politicians used the loans—whether they had invested the money in equipment or services for the city, or used the cash to lower taxes for... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Financial Services

27 Jul 2011
Research & Ideas

Customer Loyalty Programs That Work

motor vehicles registries. In the digital era, retailers have myriad ways to collect, store, and slice-and-dice customer data. "The more information you can get and the better you can deal with it, the... View Details

Keywords: by Maggie Starvish; Retail

May 2016
Case

Should I Stay or Should I Go? (A)

By: Boris Groysberg, George Serafeim, Eric Lin and Robin Abrahams

Financial executive Alexi is considering a job change. Will his long-ago association with a company currently embroiled in a scandal hurt his chances in the job market? In the (A) case, Alexi and executive search consultant Marguerite strategize about career... View Details

Keywords: Personal Development and Career; Financial Services Industry

05 Sep 2007
Working Paper Summaries

Global Currency Hedging

Keywords: by John Y. Campbell, Karine Serfaty-de Medeiros & Luis M. Viceira; Financial Services

Career Coach

Matt Spielman

Teacher’s College and Columbia Business School. As a former nationally recognized collegiate athlete, marathon runner and certified personal trainer, Matt places great... View Details

Keywords: Financial Services (All); Financial Services (All); Financial Services (All); Financial Services (All); Financial Services (All); Financial Services (All); Financial Services (All); Financial Services (All); Financial Services (All); Financial Services (All); Financial Services (All); Financial Services (All)

January 2021
Case

The FIRE Savings Calculator

By: Michael Parzen and Paul Hamilton

This case follows Carol Muñoz, a member of the Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) lifestyle movement. At the age of 45, Carol is considering retiring and living off the $1 million she has accumulated. Using Monte Carlo simulation, Carol forecasts the... View Details

Keywords: Analysis; Forecasting and Prediction; Financial Strategy; Investment Portfolio; Investment Return; Personal Finance; Saving; Risk and Uncertainty; Diversification; Theory; Personal Development and Career; Financial Services Industry