Ken Stephens

MarketReview author profile

Ken Stephens

Editor-in-Chief

Active

Ken Stephens has spent decades following financial markets from both sides of the screen: as an individual investor and through work connected with the investment-banking industry. That breadth informs the way he approaches MarketReview’s coverage of investing, trading and the institutions that influence asset prices.

He is less interested in repeating the market’s conventional wisdom than in examining what supports it. When a familiar explanation is offered for a rally, a sell-off or a shift in policy, Ken looks for the assumptions underneath it, the evidence that confirms or weakens it and the risks that may be overlooked. His writing often connects the choices facing individual investors with the larger forces at work in financial institutions and markets.

As Editor-in-Chief, Ken sets editorial priorities and helps shape how MarketReview explains complex financial subjects. He also contributes directly to articles on investment strategy, market analysis and trading, with an emphasis on clear reasoning, honest uncertainty and conclusions that can withstand closer scrutiny.

Areas of coverage

  • Investing
  • Trading
  • Financial markets
  • Market analysis
  • Federal Reserve
  • Commodities
  • ETFs

Published work

Latest work by Ken Stephens

News, analysis and evergreen financial guides credited to this author.

A laptop displaying financial-market price charts.
Guide

Investing and Speculation

Investing and speculation both involve uncertainty, but the difference lies in what drives the expected return, how much depends on price movement, and how risk is managed.

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A person reviewing financial charts beside a monthly calendar on a desk.
Guide

Time Horizons with Investing

An investment time horizon should be tied to a financial goal and expected cash needs, helping determine how much volatility, liquidity risk and portfolio change an investor can reasonably accept.

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A person writing in a notebook beside a piggy bank and scattered coins on a desk.
Guide

The Goal of Investing

Investing works best when returns are tied to a specific financial goal, time horizon and acceptable level of risk rather than pursued as an end in themselves.

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Hands using a calculator beside printed portfolio charts and a notebook on a desk.
Guide

Long-Term Investment Strategies

Long-term investing works best when the portfolio is built around a clear goal, diversified appropriately, maintained with discipline and adjusted as the time to use the money gets closer.

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Financial market chart displayed on a computer monitor.
Guide

Investing and Market Trends

Market trends can provide useful information about price direction and momentum, but they are signals to interpret, not forecasts that remove uncertainty.

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Guide

Life Insurance Mistakes to Avoid

Life insurance works best when the coverage amount, policy type, term, beneficiaries and premium commitment are all tied to the financial risk you are actually trying to cover.

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