Asa Aarons

Asa Aarons is a well-known consumer advocate with a special interest in financial fraud, scams, and money saving strategies. Through his intervention, consumers have collected thousands of dollars in refunds from manufacturers, retailers, and service providers. He's also resolved consumer misunderstandings with everyone from contractors and car dealers to government officials. An Emmy award winning journalist, Asa spent 15 years of his career at NBC's flagship New York City TV station. He has also made numerous appearances on national TV, including The Today Show, hosted a radio show in Detroit, and authored a popular column in the New York Daily News for more than a decade. He can be reached at asa@justaskasa.com.

Michael Berry

Michael Berry was born in Colombia and raised in Canada. He is now a US citizen and has lived in the US for many years. After earning a PhD from Arizona State University (quantitative analysis and investment finance), he was a professor at the Colgate Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia. He followed with the Wheat First Endowed Chair at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. Over time, his career evolved into managing small and mid-cap value portfolios for Kemper Scudder and Milwaukee-based Heartland Advisors. Each year for the past six years, Michael has been a guest lecturer at the Federal Reserve in Washington. In 2010, he testified before Congress on US natural resource policy. He publishes Morning Notes, which discuss geopolitical, technological, and economic trends and their effects on capital markets. He can be reached at info@discoveryinvesting.com, or you can register to receive the Notes at www.discoveryinvesting.com.

BetterInvesting Blog - Adam Ritt

Adam Ritt is the director of communications for BetterInvesting (www.betterinvesting.org/openhouse), a nonprofit association dedicated to providing a sound program of investment education and information to help its members become successful, long-term investors. Founded in 1951, the membership includes individual investors and investment clubs.  Adam writes frequently about the fundamental analysis of growth companies, long-term investing, market developments, and other topics of interest to individual investors. (Stocks mentioned in his articles are for educational purposes only. No investment recommendations are intended.) Before joining BetterInvesting, Adam edited magazines for Advanstar, Capital Cities/ABC, Disney, and Reed Business Information. He has a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Northwestern University and a Master’s in journalism from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism.

Peter Bible

Peter Bible is the partner in charge of the Public Companies Practice at the accounting firm of EisnerAmper. He is a member of the SEC Regulations Committee of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' Center for Audit Quality, which meets periodically with the staff of the SEC to discuss emerging technical accounting and reporting issues relating to SEC rules and regulations. He is also a member of the AICPA's Smaller Firm Task Force. Peter served as Audit Partner for Deloitte and Touche in New York City, where he was also Deputy Professional Practice Director for the Northeast Region and for the Collateralized Mortgage Obligations Group. He also held positions as Chief Accounting Officer for General Motors Corp. and Assistant Controller-Corporate Accounting for GTE Corp. He has experience in audit, taxation, and accounting, as well as hands-on experience with divestitures, acquisitions, joint ventures, IPOs (25 in total), and other public and private offerings, and extensive expertise in accounting standards and securities rules. He has a BA in Business and Accounting, magna cum laude, from Otterbein College.

Kevin Carter

For the past five years, Kevin L. Carter has written about biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medicine. He specializes in scientific writing and editing for pharmaceutical and media clients and is working on a Master's degree in biomedical communication. A veteran journalist, Kevin has written about sports, music, media, culture, and the interaction of all of the former for The Philadelphia Inquirer, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Pittsburgh Press, and many other media outlets. He has been a talk show host on WPHT-AM (1210) in Philadelphia and has done commentaries for National Public Radio. He has appeared on ESPN, NBC, ABC, CBS, Univision, TV Azteca in Mexico, and NHK TV in Japan. In 2010 he was a contestant on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. A fan and practitioner of mixed martial arts, judo, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Kevin is a graduate of Harvard University and a wannabe professional poker player. He lives in Princeton, N.J., with his wife and two children.

Sherri Cruz

Sherri Cruz has been writing for numerous publications, including the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Orange County Business Journal, and the Las Vegas Business Press, for the past 15 years. She covers a broad range of topics, including technology, public companies, manufacturing, and small business. She also spent time as a computer programmer when COBOL was in its heyday. Originally from Wappingers Falls, N.Y., she earned a Bachelor's degree in Hotel Administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with the plan of being a hotel entertainment director. For fun, she began writing an Internet column for the Las Vegas Business Press, which led to both a full-time job and a journalism career. Sherri now lives in Orange County, Calif., where she learned to skateboard. Run-ins with concrete led her to hula classes.

Steven N. Czetli

Steven N. Czetli is the former Business Editor of The Pittsburgh Press. Before that, he was Editor of the Pittsburgh Business Times and Executive Editor for T.E.Q. Magazine, the monthly publication of the Pittsburgh Technology Council. He is the co-author of three books, one of which focused on entrepreneurship. He was also the publisher/editor of an email newsletter, TechyVent/Pittsburgh. Steven was selected as the 2003 Journalist of the Year for Region III of the US Small Business Administration in recognition of his support for small and emerging businesses.

Mitch Feinstein

Mitch Feinstein is a Beverly Hills attorney who specializes in real estate and related transactions. During a career spanning more than 40 years, he acted as counsel to the California Mortgage Association and its predecessors, served on the California Services Association legal committee, and participated on the California Department of Real Estate's Real Estate Finance Advisory Committee. In 1984 Mitch founded National Consumers Finance Co., where he was instrumental in developing lending procedures as well as standards for supervision of loan portfolios. He obtained one of the first state securities permits for the sale of a pool of securitized loans to private investors and assisted numerous companies with various types of securities permits. He is active in several state and national real estate trade organizations, including the National Home Equity Mortgage Association, where he assists with legislative and government relations. In his spare time he enjoys acting and writing for the stage.

Goodman’s Goodies - Fred Goodman

Fred Goodman was trained at Harvard as an undergraduate and went on to its dental school. However, he developed a passion for the stock market and became a registered investment adviser in 1970 when he began writing a technical stock market newsletter for subscribers. When the CBOE started trading stock options in 1973 he converted the newsletter to options and put on a series of lectures to train brokers in their use. He also taught at UCLA. In 1979 he co-founded and ran EVM Investment Advisers, for the purpose of trading convertible bond and stock option strategies, and EVM Analysts Inc., to trade commodity futures for clients. After obtaining his designation as a Certified Financial Planner in 1995, Fred began managing stock investment accounts for clients. He continues to manage investment accounts, and in 2001 he began writing MarketMonograph, a daily, Web-based subscription service specializing in technical stock market analysis and the application of economic indicators to market timing. Fred may be reached at fred@marketmonograph.com, and a sample of his market letter may be seen at www.marketmonograph.com/goodman119/free.asp.

William M. Harris

With experience in the financial services industry since the late 1980s, Will is a Certified Financial Planner and a member of both the Financial Planning Association (FPA) and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). In addition, he is an Ed Slott Elite IRA Advisor. Will cofounded WH Cornerstone Investments, of Duxbury, Mass., in 1996 to provide independent, fee-only advice and solutions, focusing primarily on business owners, individuals, families, and small businesses. He can be reached at www.whcornerstone.com.

Lenore Elle Hawkins

Lenore is a principal at Meritas Advisors, a registered investment advisor with offices in San Rafael and San Diego, Calif. She has more than 18 years of experience in finance, strategic planning, risk management, and asset valuation. Lenore is a regular guest on Fox Bulls and Bears, the Cavuto Show, and Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano, and is a frequent speaker at investment conferences and a member of the Mont Pelerin Society. She previously served as the VP of Corporate Development for Centara Capital Management Group, a San Diego firm that provides coordinated financial planning, investment management, and tax, insurance, and estate planning services to its high-net-worth clients. She has also worked with JP Morgan in the Private Client Services practice. She began her career with Accenture, where she led consulting teams advising financial services clients including the Capital Group and Charles Schwab. Lenore earned a BA in Mathematics and Economics from Claremont McKenna and Harvey Mudd and an MBA in Finance from the Anderson School at UCLA. She's also very active in her community, serving on the Board of Directors for the Dreyfuss Initiative, as a partner with San Diego Social Venture Partners (SDSVP), and as the lead partner from SDSVP to Reality Changers, a nonprofit that provides disadvantaged inner-city youth the resources to become first-generation college students.

Inside Tech - Robert Irr

Robert Irr has been following the markets and trading since 1997. He formerly worked at Intel Corp. as a financial analyst, overseeing an annual budget of $160 million. Currently he manages his own portfolio with an emphasis on semiconductors and tech stocks. He also regularly publishes his investing ideas and analysis on his blog site, Techinsidr.com.

João-Pierre Ruth - Joao-Pierre Ruth

I have written about wireless communications, consumer electronics, social media, and other business sectors for more than 14 years. I am a correspondent for Xconomy's New York branch covering startup companies in various technology sectors. I have also written for The New York Enterprise Report. Over the course of my career I have written stories on everything from wineries to satellite communications.

Joey's Journal - Joey Naddeo

Joey Naddeo is a seasoned college expert, and a recognized authority in the world of college transfer advice. From 1991 to 1998 he was the cutest child on the block, and after a brief awkward period, developed a love for snark and sarcasm. He is a part-time cookie connoisseur, aspiring professional opinion-giver, and propagator of puns. He hopes to one day be able to write a short biography full of professional accomplishments and intends to work diligently until that day. For now, he lives in suburban New York City.

John Jordan

John Jordan is a veteran journalist and president of Hudson Valley Editorial Services in Middletown, N.Y. He has worked at, or contributed to, a host of print and online publications, including Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Westchester County, The New York Times, the Westchester and Fairfield County Business Journals, and a number of business and real estate trade publications. He was a daily contributor to the online commercial real estate news site, Globest.com, and co-edited five online publications for its parent company, Real Estate Media Inc. When not working, he likes to spend time with his wife Patty, son Sean, and two Pomeranians, Jacques and Jolie.

Sherry Judd

Sherry Judd is a partner at Marketing Tactics, LLC where she heads the social media marketing practice.  She specializes in working with financial services clients to develop marketing solutions to address their unique thought leadership and communications needs.
Sherry has more than three decades of experience in investment banking and financial services sales and marketing.  A native Californian, Sherry holds a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.  She began her career with Goldman Sachs and was a Vice President at Merrill Lynch before becoming a consultant. Sherry reads like there's no tomorrow, so she always enjoys the change of perspective that writing brings.  She may be reached at sherry@marketingtacticsinc.com.

Tony Kau

Tony Kau is a financial analyst and swing trader from Portland, Oregon. He was most recently employed as an Analyst/Model Developer at a hedge fund. His core strategy relies on successfully identifying trend exhaustion patterns and capitalizing on them using both stocks and options. He publishes a daily trading blog to help others benefit from the tools he has developed. To see his daily trade alerts or learn more about trend exhaustion, visit http://TonyKau.com

Tony's Trend Exhaustion Fund is a Contrarian, fundamentally-supported, long/short, swing trading fund, seeking to identify pricing trends of individual equities that appear to be exhausted and due for a reversal. The Trend Exhaustion identification and ranking system is also employed as an entry/exit timing mechanism for a market-neutral hedge fund.

Marvin Kitman

Marvin Kitman was the media critic at Newsday from 1969 to 2005. His nine books include I Am a VCR and The Man Who Would Not Shut Up: The Rise of Bill O'Reilly. As a historian, he wrote The Making of the Prefident 1789. George Washington's Expense Account, by Gen. George Washington and Marvin Kitman PFC (Ret.), is the best-selling expense account in publishing history. Marvin's picture was taken by his wife, photographer Carol Kitman. You can reach him on Twitter @MarvinKitman.

Edward Klink

Edward Klink has more than 20 years of experience in the investment industry from Wall Street to Main Street. He has worked for J.P. Morgan and the Lexington Funds, and he’s written hundreds of articles and resources for the financial industry. He holds a Master’s degree and is a graduate of the Securities Industry Institute at Wharton. He can be reached at his Website at www.edwardklink.com.

Ed Leefeldt

Ed Leefeldt is an investigative journalist specializing in insurance issues. His previous stories have led to changes in credit card practices, voter registration reform, and the "Son of Sam" law that prevents convicts from profiting from their crimes. As a correspondent for Thomson Reuters he covered hurricane Katrina; as a feature writer for Bloomberg Magazine he covered topics ranging from industrial espionage to computer hackers and fraud; and while covering mergers and acquisitions as the "hot stock" reporter for Dow Jones he broke stories such as then US Attorney Rudy Giuliani removing Wall Street traders from their offices in handcuffs. Ed has also been a contributor to The Wall Street Journal, and his work has appeared in The New York Times. His most recent awards include the Association Media & Publishing EXCEL award, a Euromoney award for an Institutional Investor story on "pay to play," and two New York Press Club awards.

Erik Liik

Erik Liik, the president and chief executive officer of FocusShares, has been working in the exchange-traded fund industry almost from its inception nearly 20 years ago. He was the managing director of the ETF Marketplace for the American Stock Exchange, and he played a key role in the launch of the first ETFs providing access to international country-specific indexes (WEBS). In 2000, for Financial Research Corp., he co-authored a study, "The Future of Exchange-Traded Funds," which proved largely prescient about the future of ETFs.

Ann C. Logue

Ann Logue is a writer specializing in business and finance. She is the author of four books, Emerging Markets for Dummies (Wiley 2011), Socially Responsible Investing for Dummies (Wiley 2009), Day Trading for Dummies (Wiley 2007), and Hedge Funds for Dummies (Wiley 2006). She has also provided ghostwriting and technical editing services for books published by Bloomberg Press, the International Monetary Fund, and Pearson Educational Services. In addition to her books, Annie has written about industries, executives, and current events for Barron’s, Business Week Chicago, Newsweek Japan, and trade and association publications serving quilt retailers, scrap metal brokers, and university development officers. She is a lecturer in finance at the University of Illinois at Chicago, teaching both undergraduate and MBA students about corporate finance and international financial markets. Her current career follows 12 years of experience in the financial markets as an analyst with Volpe Brown Whelan & Co., The Chicago Corporation, and Kemper Financial Services. Annie holds a BA in economics from Northwestern University and an MBA with concentrations in finance and accounting from the University of Chicago. She also has the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. She lives on the north side of Chicago with her husband and son. She enjoys swimming, reading, vegetarian cooking, and watching The Simpsons.

Cary D. McMillan

Cary D. McMillan is CEO of True Partners Consulting LLC and one of its founders. He was previously CEO of Sara Lee Branded Apparel; EVP and CFO of Sara Lee Corp.; and held a number of positions at Arthur Andersen, including Managing Partner of its largest office in Chicago. Cary is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in accountancy. He currently sits on numerous boards of directors,  including McDonald's, Hewitt Associates, and American Eagle Outfitters. He's also a board member of several nonprofit organizations in the Chicago area, including the Art Institute of Chicago, School of the Art Institute, Window to the World Communications, and Millennium Park.

Axel Merk

Axel Merk is the President and CIO of Merk Investments, manager of the Merk Funds. An authority on currencies, he is a pioneer in the use of strategic currency investing to seek diversification. He manages the Merk Hard and Asian Currency Funds and co-manages the Merk Absolute Return Currency Fund.

Axel is a sought after speaker and author on topics ranging from the economy, gold and currencies to sustainable wealth and personal finance, as well as a regular guest and contributor to the business media around the world.  He holds a B.A. in Economics (magna cum laude) and a M.Sc. in Computer Science from Brown University.

Andy Rachleff

Andy Rachleff is the CEO of Wealthfront, an SEC registered investment advisor.  Wealthfront provides investors access to outstanding registered money managers who might otherwise require a minimum investment of $1,000,000 or more. He is also a co-founder and former General Partner of venture capital firm Benchmark Capital. He is on the faculty of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he teaches a variety of courses on technology entrepreneurship. Andy also serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and is the Vice Chairman of its endowment investment committee. He earned his BS from the University of Pennsylvania and his MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

R. Scott Raynovich

R. Scott Raynovich is the Editor in Chief of Investor Uprising. He has more than 20 years of experience in analyzing and writing about technology, media, and investment markets. He has been quoted by such outfits as Reuters, Dow Jones, Barron's, and the San Jose Mercury News. He has also been interviewed on CNN, CNBC, and National Public Radio.

From 1998 to 2000, he was the Investment Editor at Red Herring where he helped launch that magazine's first Website, Redherring.com, which won a Folio Editorial Excellence award for best investment Website in 2000. From 2000 to 2008, he was the Editor in Chief, Editorial Director, and a business partner at Light Reading, the leading online telecommunications news and analysis firm, which United Business Media acquired in 2005. Founded in 2000, Light Reading quickly developed into the "axe" in the telecom space where it forecast many industry trends, among them the demise of Lucent Inc. It also broke hundreds of stories, including Cisco's $7 billion acquisition of Scientific-Atlanta in 2005.

Scott has also written for Wired.com and the Prague Post, in addition to spending years as an independent analyst, investor, and founder of his own blog, The Rayno Report (www.raynoreport.com). When not traveling to investment and technology conferences, he holes up in the mountains of Southwestern Montana where he and his wife raise three kids and a dog.

Rod Raynovich

Rod Raynovich is the founder of Raygent Associates, a management consulting firm providing business development and intelligence and strategic marketing services in the life sciences and medical device area. He publishes his thoughts and analysis on the biotech industry at www.raygent.com. Rod [editor’s note: yes, he is related to the editor of this site] is also an experienced biotech investor and analyst with a focus in vaccines, tools, IVDs, and biopharmaceuticals. Before starting Raygent, he was a technology transfer officer for UCLA, and he has held various executive positions in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, including senior positions at Nasdaq-listed medical device companies. He was a founder and a former director of EPIX Medical (later acquired) and held management positions at Johnson & Johnson and Abbott Labs.

Benjamin Savage
Benjamin Savage is the Managing Partner of Resonance Funds. Previously he worked at Bridgewater Associates, Capital Research, and Wasserstein & Co. He holds an MBA from Stanford University and BA from Yale University.

Noreen Seebacher

Noreen Seebacher, the Community Editor of Investor Uprising, has been a business journalist for more than 20 years. A New York City based writer and editor, she has worked for numerous print and online publications. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the New York Post, New York’s Daily News, The Detroit News, and the Pittsburgh Press. She co-edited five newsletters for Real Estate Media’s GlobeSt.com and served as the site's technology editor.

She also championed the commercial real estate beat at The Journal News, a Gannett publication in suburban New York City, and co-founded a Website focused on personal finance. Through her own company, Stasa Media, Noreen has produced reports, whitepapers, and internal publications for a number of Fortune 500 clients. When she's not writing, editing, or Web surfing, she relaxes in an 1875 Victorian with her husband and their five kids, four formerly homeless cats, and a dog.

David O. Taylor

David O. Taylor is the founder of Ohrn Consulting, a management consulting and strategic advisory firm dedicated to helping businesses improve their bottom lines. His experience includes 14 years in investment banking sales and management, as well as consulting for small businesses and entrepreneurs. He holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of Richmond and an MBA in Finance and Management and Organizational Behavior from New York University's Stern School of Business. When not working, David spends time with his wife and kids and relentlessly pursues his quest to create the perfect pizza on the grill. He can be reached at david.taylor@ohrnconsulting.com.

Tech-Stock Prospector - Robert DeFrancesco

Robert DeFrancesco is the founder and managing editor of Tech-Stock Prospector, an investment research and advisory service covering various segments of the technology sector. He is a veteran tech analyst who has covered the sector for more than 20 years. A former senior writer with Louis Rukeyser's Wall Street newsletter, Rob tracks the latest developments in the tech world and uncovers the most promising investment opportunities. He conducts deep fundamental research to identify and capitalize on inefficiencies within the technology-stock sector. In addition to company-specific research, he covers key themes, including cloud computing, mobile broadband, collaboration, social media, networking security, datacenter consolidation, and virtualization.

The Spin - Michael Shmarak

A seasoned professional with heightened expertise in media relations, corporate communications, social media protocols, and executive positioning, Michael Shmarak is vice president of DKC Public Relations, Marketing & Government Affairs.  His interests and capabilities span several industries, including professional services, real estate, hospitality, retail, media, and investment banking. Michael previously served for nine years as principal of Sidney Maxwell Public Relations.  He has also served as director of Ruder-Finn's Corporate Affairs Practice, and was Account Supervisor/Media Relations for Ketchum in Chicago. Michael has an MBA from Wayne State University in Detroit and a Bachelor's degree in marketing from Ohio State University. He may be reached at michael_shmarak@dkcnews.com.

 

 

Cliff Wachtel

Cliff Wachtel, CPA, is the Chief Market Analyst and New Media Director for anyoption.com. He provides market analyses, special reports, trade recommendations, VIP advisory services, and trader training. He is widely followed online as a forex, commodity, and stock commentator, and is a top-ranked contributor for a variety of online publications like Seekingalpha.com and forexfactory.com. Cliff attended Vassar College and Cornell University's MBA program and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Jack Waymire

Jack Waymire spent 28 years in the financial services industry. For 21 years he was the president of a registered investment advisory firm that provided services to more than 50,000 investors. He is the author of Who's Watching Your Money?, the first book that provided an objective process for selecting higher quality financial advisors.  He is the founder of two major websites, InvestorWatchdog.com, for individual investors, and www.PaladinRegistry.com,  for financial advisors.  He is a columnist for Worth magazine, a blogger on major financial websites, and is frequently quoted by the media.

Wendy Willbanks Wiesner

After working 14 years in the high-tech sector, developing and marketing solutions for the banking and brokerage industries, Wendy decided to pursue a longterm interest in economics. She wrote her Master's thesis on financial industry tools, methods, and structures that can work in the best interest of all stakeholders – employees, employers, communities, citizens, and investors – when properly implemented. The practical outcome is Ethical Capital, or simply a formalized means of doing what she has done all along. Wendy lives in Denver with her husband, two daughters, and two cats. You can reach her at wendy@anchorbaycorp.com.

Alexander Wolfe

In his more than two decades as a technology editor, Alex has written for ACM Queue, Byte.com, McGraw-Hill's Electronics magazine, IEEE Spectrum, Mechanical Engineering, Supercomputing Review, and TechWeb. He's focused on microprocessor and high-end software technology, as well as networking, storage, and cloud computing. His most recent stint was as editor-in-chief of InformationWeek.com, where he ran day-to-day operations of the site and also commented on IT industry trends via his "Wolfe's Den" column. In 2002, he was the launch editor for WindowsforDevices.com, a site aimed at embedded developers. He spent the 1990s at UBM's Electronic Engineering Times, where he broke the nationally known story of Intel's Pentium floating-point division bug in 1994. Alex has appeared as an industry analyst on CNN, CNBC, Fox News, and MSNBC. He's a frequent panelist and moderator at industry conferences and has moved into the analyst realm in the past year, writing research reports on the state of server technology and on business-collaboration (a.k.a. Enterprise 2.0) applications. He holds a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Cooper Union. He can be reached at awolfe58@gmail.com.