• About Kellogg
  • Programs
  • Faculty & Research
  • Admissions
  • News & Events
  • Support Kellogg
Brian Melzer
Brian Melzer

FINANCE
Assistant Professor of Finance

Print Overview

Brian Melzer is a Senior Lecturer and Donald P. Jacobs Scholar in the Finance Department. His research interests include household finance, financial institutions and financial regulation. His recent work examines the effects of payday loans, which are small, short-term consumer loans.

Professor Melzer received his PhD in economics from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 2008. Prior to graduate study, he worked as a research analyst in the investment management business.



Areas of Expertise
Banking and Financial Institutions
Behavioral Economics (Includes: Behavioral Finance)
Corporate
Personal Finance
Regulation of Financial Markets
Print Vita
Education
PhD, 2008, Economics, University of Chicago
MLitt, 2000, Philosophy, St. Andrews University
AB, 1999, Philosophy, Princeton University, Summa Cum Laude

 
Print Research
Research Interests
Financial institutions; household finance

Working Papers
Melzer, Brian. 2009. Competition and the Adverse Selection in Consumer Credit Markets: Payday Loans vs. Overdraft Credit.
Read
Melzer, Brian. 2009. The Real Costs of Credit Access: Evidence from the Payday Lending Market.
Read

 
Print Teaching
Teaching Interests
Corporate finance
Full-Time / Part-Time MBA
Finance II (FINC-441-0)

This course counts toward the following majors: Analytical Finance, Finance.

This course is the sequel to FINC-430. The primary objective is to examine the financial decisions of firms with regard to their capital budgeting decisions (which investments to make), dividend decisions and capital structure decisions (how to raise capital). We first examine these decisions in an idealized frictionless world in which the firm cannot change its value by altering its dividend or capital structure policy. We then explore the effect of frictions (e.g. taxes, bankruptcy costs, inefficient or uncompetitive financial markets, or self-interested managers) on the firm's financial decisions and how these decisions can affect a firm's value. Prerequisites: FINC-430. Corequisite: DECS-434 or equivalent. ACCT-430 and MECN-430 are recommended.