Arna Olafsson

Arna Olafsson is an Associate Professor of Finance at the Department of Finance, Copenhagen Business School (CBS). He is affiliated with the Danish Finance Institute, CEPR, the Center for Big Data in Finance (BIGFI), and the Pension Research Centre (PeRCent). He holds a PhD from the Stockholm School of Economics (2014). His research focuses on Household Finance, Behavioral Finance, and Labor Economics, emphasizing how individuals and households use financial tools and technology to manage their finances. He has received significant grants, including an ERC Starting Grant (2025) for studying gender dynamics in finance and a SNF grant for analyzing green household finance using high-frequency data. His work often integrates bank data with field experiments, collaborating with financial institutions. Recent publications address topics like selective attention to finances, retirement consumption patterns, and fintech's impact on decision-making.

Key achievements include a 2024 Journal of Public Economics paper on retirement-consumption puzzles and a 2024 Review of Financial Studies article resolving the co-holding puzzle. He serves on Iceland's Fiscal Policy Council, evaluating government fiscal policies. Olafsson’s research bridges theory and practice, with projects like 'Green Household Finance' and collaborations with the Think Forward Initiative.