I am a Consultant with Fulcrum Inquiry, LLP, an accounting and economics consulting firm that performs economic damages analysis involving commercial litigation, financial investigations, business valuations, and forensic accounting.
Brian Nolte
Author's posts
Sep 09
Do “Presidential Names” Become More Popular?
An event study captures the impact of a certain event(s) on a marketplace. This technique is most commonly used in the context of the stock market, when analysts study the effects of certain events on stock prices. Analysts look at share prices prior to the event of interest (e.g. a stock split, CEO resignation, etc.) …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/09/which-presidential-name-is-most-popular/
Aug 13
The Baby Name “Market” is becoming more Fragmented
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), there have been over 91,000 different names given to babies since 1880 in the US. We can think of the process of naming children as a market activity. The “market” consists of parents (i.e. consumers) who select a name (i.e. product) from a wide assortment of options. For …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/08/the-baby-name-market-is-becoming-more-fragmented/
Aug 08
519 Boys Named “Sue”
In 1969, Johnny Cash released his recording of “A Boy Named Sue”— a ballad of a seemingly spiteful father who abandoned his son but only after naming him Sue. The song reaches a memorable finish when Sue’s father says, “Son, this world is rough And if a man’s gonna make it, he’s gotta be tough …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/08/519-boys-named-sue/
Aug 05
What is the Most Unisex Name in US History?
Names like Grant or Greg are thoroughly associated with males, while Isabelle and Antoinette are clearly associated with females. Other names, however, are significantly more androgynous. If you were to receive an email from an unknown Sam, Morgan, or Jamie, you wouldn’t be sure of the sender’s gender. What makes a name clearly suitable for …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/08/what-is-the-most-unisex-name-in-us-history/
Jul 31
When Survey Results Change Drastically, You May Want to Check Your Work
When survey results change drastically from one period to the next the results are often chalked up to actual changes within the population that the survey was intended to measure. However, the possibility also exists that not all changes correspond to true changes in the underlying population. Pollsters rarely survey the same respondents from period …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/07/when-survey-results-change-drastically-you-may-want-to-check-your-work/
Jun 05
“Shark Tank” Doesn’t Get Venture Capital Valuation Right
ABC’s popular TV show, “Shark Tank,” shows negotiations between entrepreneurs and five Venture Capital (VC) investors (“the Sharks”). Before describing their company, business owners typically make a request in the following form: X thousands of dollars in exchange of Y percent ownership in the company. For example, in a recent episode, the two owners of …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/06/shark-tank-doesnt-get-venture-capital-valuation-right/
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/05/is-college-worth-it-taking-new-econometric-methods-seriously/
Apr 24
What is it about all the Benjamins ($100 Bills)?
With the advent of e-commerce and increased usage of credit cards, intuition might suggest that $100 bills in circulation would not keep up with inflation. However, from 1990 through 2012, the number of $100 bills in circulation has increased by an average of 8.6% per year, far outpacing the average inflation rate of 2.5% for …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/04/what-is-it-about-all-the-benjamins-100-bills/
Apr 12
Renaming Hurricanes Probably Wouldn’t Have Increased Donations by $700 Million
Adam Alter, Professor of Marketing and Psychology at NYU, thinks that he’s found a way to increase aid donations in the aftermath of hurricanes. His solution: give hurricanes names with very common initials (e.g. “J” or “M”) because people allegedly donate more when Hurricanes share their first initial. To support his suggestion, Alter cites a …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/04/why-renaming-hurricanes-probably-wouldnt-have-increased-donations-by-700-million/
Apr 10
Giving Away Amazon Prime Likely Won’t Make Everyone Big Spenders
Wired Business reports that analysts at Morningstar and Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) believe that Amazon could dramatically increase profits by selling its Prime membership for much less than the current price of $79. The Amazon Prime membership, which provides a full year of free two-day shipping, is associated with much larger consumer spending. According …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/04/giving-away-amazon-prime-wont-likely-make-everyone-big-spenders/
May 28
Is College Worth It?— New Econometric Methods Provide Another Approach
May 28, 2013
In a previous post, Eric discussed a Brookings Institution policy brief that argued, among other things, that college education is a poor investment for some students. This assertion is based in large part on the negative return on investment (ROI) reported by Payscale.com for certain non-selective colleges. The problem with this sort of analysis, however, …
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