Brian Melzer is an assistant professor in the Finance Department at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. His research interests include household finance, financial institutions and financial regulation. His recent work examines the investment choices of heavily indebted homeowners and the effects of unemployment insurance on mortgage default. He has also studied 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.