Edited By Olivia S. Mitchell and Nikolai Roussanov
Behavioral research on financial decision making has exploded over the last decade, spurred by social scientists working at the interface of economics, finance, psychology, and sociology. This volume collects insights and offers new perspectives on this research, with a particular focus on ways to design and sustain more effective and successful retirement plans. By examining key studies and practical examples, the book provides a guide for policymakers, employers, and financial planners seeking to enhance retirement outcomes. The goal is to bridge the gap between theory and practice, ensuring that retirement plans are not only financially sound but also take into account plan participants’ behavioral tendencies.
Publication date: Summer 2026 · Oxford University Press · ISBN 9780197845752
- Order online from Oxford University Press
- Table of Contents
- Chapter 1: Lessons from Behavioral Research for Retirement Saving, Investment, and Spending
Olivia S. Mitchell and Nikolai Roussanov - Chapter 2: Noncognitive Determinants of Retirement Saving Behavior
Gianpaolo Parise and Kim Peijnenburg - Chapter 3: Subjective Beliefs, Saving, and Spending for Retirement
Rawley Z. Heimer - Chapter 4: Does It All Add Up?: New Experimental Evidence for Undersum Bias as an Impediment to Precautionary Saving
Shane Timmons and Féidhlim McGowan - Chapter 5: Deepening Our Understanding of Savings Automation in Retirement and Nonretirement Contexts
Alycia Chin, Heidi Johnson, and Brianna L. Middlewood - Chapter 6: Plan Design and Participant Behavior in Defined Contribution Retirement Plans: Past, Present, and Future
Jonathan Reuter - Chapter 7: The Implications of Gender Differences in Retirement Plan Investment Patterns
Vickie Bajtelsmit
- Chapter 8: Wealth Accumulation: The Role of Others
Michael Haliassos - Chapter 9: Aging in America: An Examination of Financial and Health Decision Making Among Older Adults
Gary R. Mottola, Lei Yu, and Patricia Boyle
- Chapter 10: Insights on Economic Well-Being at Older Ages from Analyses of Household Spending
Michael D. Hurd and Susann Rohwedder - Chapter 11: Patterns of Consumption and Savings Around Retirement
Arna Olafsson and Michaela Pagel
- Chapter 12: Does 401(k) Loan Repayment Crowd Out Retirement Saving?: Implications for Plan Design
John Beshears, James J. Choi, Joel M. Dickson, Aaron Goodman, Fiona Greig, and David Laibson
- Chapter 13: Reforming the US Long-Term Care Insurance Market
R.Anton Braun and Karen A. Kopecky - More PRC Books

