Knowledge@Wharton

For winegrowers, no two seasons are the same. Facing droughts, flooding, wildfires and other unforeseen forces, they have learned to adapt to constant unpredictability. Alongside, winegrowers have been grappling with other sweeping changes, including digital transformation of their markets and rising labor costs – and now, declining tourism due to COVID-19. In this opinion piece, […]

Retirees took another wallop from COVID-19 with the Federal Reserve’s announcement two weeks ago that it expects to hold interest rates near zero at least until 2023 because of the pandemic. That spells lower returns for retirement accounts, and it adds to the underfunding of pensions that has worried retirees for many years now. The […]

Even as total household debt in the U.S. rose to a record $14.3 trillion in the first quarter of this year, the number of personal bankruptcy filings is at a 15-year low, according to a recent New York Times report. The economic stimulus payments of $1,200 for each individual and higher unemployment insurance payments cushioned […]

Wharton@Work, a monthly newsletter from Wharton Executive Education, recently spoke with professor Todd Sinai, chair of Wharton’s Real Estate Department, about the investment risks and opportunities in commercial real estate that have emerged as a result of the global pandemic. Sinai is the academic director of the Wharton Executive Education virtual program Assessing Commercial Real […]

Days before the 2016 presidential election that vaulted Donald Trump to the White House, The New York Times announced that Hillary Clinton had a 91% chance of winning. According to the newspaper’s own polling data, her chance of losing was about the same as an NFL kicker missing a 31-yard field goal. The Times wasn’t […]

Stores that want their shoppers to keep coming back must improve their online and in-store services now or risk losing customer loyalty, perhaps forever. A new study by Wharton’s Jay H. Baker Retailing Center and WisePlum reveals that consumers are increasingly dissatisfied with retail, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sparse inventory, sticky web navigation, poor […]

Retail investors who feel overwhelmed by convoluted language in mutual fund prospectuses now have regulators watching their backs. In August 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published a proposed rule aimed at greater transparency and lucidity in mutual fund disclosures. They also have new academic research to help filter out the funds that might […]

The impassioned protests for racial justice that have erupted across the U.S. in recent months have been an ardent call to action for many business leaders, pushing them to move quickly on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts within their organizations. But one expert warns that they shouldn’t rush through the necessary steps. Creating a […]

From the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, Sherry Bahrambeygui was sure of one time-honored adage: Take care of your employees, and they will take care of your business. Bahrambeygui, who is CEO of San Diego-based PriceSmart, a $3.3 billion operator of warehouse clubs, acted swiftly in February when the early signs of COVID-19 were visible. […]

Major health care systems around the country are reporting significant declines — as much as 60% in some cases — in patients seeking both routine and emergency care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some patients don’t want to go to the emergency room or see their doctor out of fear of contracting the disease, while many […]