Scott R. Baker
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Scott R. Baker

Associate Professor of Finance

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The Hedge Fund in Your Pantry

Many households utilize excess cash to support shopping habits that generate high financial returns.

Researchers: Scott R. Baker, Stephanie Johnson and Lorenz Kueng

When Crypto Went Mainstream—and Drove Up Housing Prices

Many Americans have cryptocurrency in their portfolios and treat it much like any other investment.

Researchers: Darren Aiello, Scott R. Baker, Tetyana Balyuk, Marco Di Maggio, Mark J. Johnson and Jason D. Kotter

September 1, 2023

Finance & Accounting

Take 5: What We’ve Learned about Tackling Public-Health Crises

Covid-era research sheds light on how policymakers can guide the economy and the public through future emergencies.

Researchers: Scott R. Baker, Efraim Benmelech, Paola Sapienza, Angela Y. Lee, Benjamin F. Jones, Ryan Hill, Dashun Wang and and coauthors

January 21, 2023

Policy

Did China’s One-Child Policy Prompt Households to Save More?

Researchers investigate whether the lack of a “family safety net” is responsible for China’s singularly high household savings rate.

Researchers: Scott R. Baker, Efraim Benmelech, Zhishu Yang and Qi Jacky Zhang

June 3, 2022

Economics

How Does Economic Uncertainty Play Out at the Local Level?

Indexing policy uncertainty by state provides new insights—and offers local governments a cautionary tale.

Researchers: Scott R. Baker, Steve Davis and Jeffrey Levy

April 8, 2022

Economics

To Better Measure Economic Uncertainty, Look Beyond the Stock Market

Incorporating news sources, surveys, and even Twitter conversations can help give policymakers more nuanced data.

Researchers: David Altig, Scott R. Baker, Jose Maria Barrero, Nick Bloom, Phil Bunn, Scarlet Chen and et al.

August 2, 2021

Economics

Here’s How Americans Are Spending Their Stimulus Checks

Real-time data pinpoints what we’re buying, and who’s spending the fastest.

Researchers: Scott R. Baker, R Farrokhnia, Steffen Meyer, Michaela Pagel and Constantine Yannelis

May 5, 2020

Economics

A Closer Look at Consumer Stockpiling During the Coronavirus Crisis

Researchers examined how households responded to shelter-in-place orders. They uncovered some surprises.

Researchers: Scott R. Baker, R Farrokhnia, Steffen Meyer, Michaela Pagel and Constantine Yannelis

April 10, 2020

Economics

The Unprecedented Stock-Market Reaction to COVID-19

A new analysis explains why this pandemic really is different.

Researchers: Scott R. Baker, Nicholas Bloom, Steven J. Davis, Kyle Kost, Marco Sammon and Tasaneeya Viratyosin

April 1, 2020

Economics

Take 5: What Previous Recessions Can Teach Us about the Coronavirus Crisis

From stimulus strategies to how businesses will fare, research on past downturns can help inform our outlook today.

Researchers: Ravi Jagannathan, Filippo Mezzanotti, Sara Moreira, Jacopo Ponticelli and Scott R. Baker

March 24, 2020

Economics

How Raising the Sales Tax Could Help Fight a Recession

New research points to a counterintuitive new tool to spur spending.

Researchers: Lorenz Kueng, Scott R. Baker, Brian Melzer and Leslie McGranahan

November 1, 2019

Economics

What Causes Stock Market Swings?

Tariffs? Job reports? Oil prices? A new volatility index pinpoints which factors make investors feel uncertain.

Researchers: Scott R. Baker, Nicholas Bloom, Steven J. Davis and Kyle Kost

What Google Is Teaching Economists About Unemployment Insurance

Search data can tell policymakers whether extending unemployment benefits delays job-seeking.

Researchers: Scott R. Baker and Andrey Fradkin

December 5, 2018

Economics

Take 5: How Do Households Manage Fluctuating Finances?

Plus, how policymakers can help them manage better.

Researchers: Janice C. Eberly, Lorenz Kueng, Scott R. Baker, Anthony DeFusco and John Mondragon

February 5, 2018

Finance & Accounting

How Do People Respond to Sales Tax Increases?

New research shows we aren’t as blasé as economists thought.

Researchers: Scott R. Baker, Stephanie Johnson and Lorenz Kueng

November 2, 2017

Economics

Take 5: How to Succeed as an Entrepreneur

Advice from Kellogg faculty experts on starting and running your own business.

Researchers: Scott R. Baker, Sean Johnson, Benjamin F. Jones, David Schonthal, Nicole Staple and Gabriel Vehovsky

May 8, 2017

Entrepreneurship

How the 2013 Government Shutdown Affected Workers’ Household Spending

Even temporary income dips lead to a surprising degree of belt-tightening.

Researchers: Scott R. Baker and Constantine Yannelis

Keeping the Angels at Bay

Startups should be wary of accepting too much money from angel investors.

Researchers: Scott R. Baker

May 9, 2016

Entrepreneurship

When Uncertainty Lingers, Growth Lags

Companies’ reluctance to act in the wake of a country’s economic shock can inhibit growth as much as the original shock itself.

Researchers: Scott R. Baker, Nicholas Bloom and Steven J. Davis

January 30, 2015

Finance & Accounting

Is Your Household Liquid Enough?

Ample cash reserves aid households when faced with the unexpected.

Researchers: Scott R. Baker

December 1, 2014

Finance & Accounting