Essentials
The articles that explain the core ideas behind Wallet Wired. If you are new here, these are the ones to read first.
- Does Financial Stress Lower Your IQ? What the Research FoundA 2013 study linked money worry to a drop "equivalent to 13 IQ points". What was measured, what the number means, and why it is still contested.
- Why Do People Avoid Checking Their Bank Account? What the Data ShowsLogin records show people look at their money less when the news is likely bad. What the ostrich effect is, and what the research still disputes.
- How Much Money Is Enough to Be Happy? What the Research Actually ShowsThe line for "enough" rises as you earn more, but slower than you do. What Gallup, a Swiss economist and a millionaire study actually found.
How to read an article
Every article is built the same way, so you always know where to look.
- The big number. One figure the research turns on, set large, with a note on what it does and does not mean.
- Numbered sources. Each claim links to the study it comes from, and the full list closes the article.
- What the research does not show. Where a finding is disputed or has failed to replicate, the article says so.
- A video version. Every article has a companion video on YouTube, made from the same sources.
What this is not
Wallet Wired describes what research has found about money and behaviour. It does not tell you what to do with your money. The editorial standards explain how articles are sourced and checked.