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Tim Harford is economics leader writer for the Financial Times and writes the “Dear Economist” and “Undercover Economist” columns on Saturdays. He first joined the FT as Peter Martin Fellow in 2003 and after a spell at the World Bank in Washington DC he rejoined the FT’s leader writing team in 2006.
Tim’s book, The Undercover Economist, is a Business Week bestseller and a Sunday Times bestseller, and was number one on Amazon.co.uk. It has been translated into sixteen languages. He is now working on a sequel.
Tim is also the presenter of the BBC2 series, Trust Me, I’m an Economist. He lives in London with his wife and two daughters.
NEW: Read Tim’s ‘Undercover Economist’ blog
Tim Harford’s website - -
Dear Economist...
I have been waging a war against service charges in restaurants. Where it’s added, I ask for its removal and don’t leave a tip, and where it isn’t, I tip. What else can I do?
Why economic forecasts are so hard to get right
The field has been a long-standing joke, but the laughter has turned harsh and bitter in the wake of the credit crisis, says Tim Harford
Dear Economist...
I have been invited to give a presentation at a conference and I’m deciding whether I should open or close the proceedings. What advice can you give me?
Happiness is a more expensive nicotine hit
Higher cigarette prices might be a blessing to smokers by encouraging them to smoke less or even to stop, says Tim Harford
Dear Economist...
My parents were pretty strict, so I made sure I was sensible. But now they turn a blind eye on my sister’s misdemeanours. Did I make a mistake in being such a square as a teenager?
Can the Brixton currency ever pay its way?
Tim Harford believes that the real benefits of community currencies, if they exist, are not economic but social
Dear Economist...
The law of comparative advantage suggests people should use their talent, but we’re also told ‘do what you love’. Is it worth time and effort pursuing a dream career I’m no good at?
How markets keep abreast of the news
Tim Harford looks at two inventive studies trying to gauge how traders respond to news – one analyses sports betting, the other uses information that is over two centuries old
Dear Economist
I have fallen in love with a wonderful man. We’re planning to marry next summer, but should we live together ahead or wait until we’re married?
Of income and incomers
Two researchers draw attention to the fact that migration has made many migrants richer and that traditional measures of income tend to mask this fact, writes Tim Harford
