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.

Calculator resting on a printed line chart on a desk.
Guide

ETFs Compared to Mutual Funds

ETFs and mutual funds can provide similar investment exposure, but they differ in trading, pricing, costs, tax efficiency and how easily they fit different accounts.

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Overhead view of a desk with financial charts, a laptop, a calculator and U.S. dollar bills.
Guide

The Benefits of ETFs

ETFs can make diversification, intraday trading, portfolio implementation and tax management more efficient, but the advantages depend on the fund, the account and how it is traded.

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A financial trading workspace with a tablet displaying a market chart beside a laptop, keyboard and calculator.
Guide

Strategies with ETFs

ETFs can support long-term investing, tactical allocation, rebalancing, hedging and trading, but each strategy needs its own objective, holding period and risk controls.

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A person using a laptop displaying financial market charts at a desk.
Guide

Buying and Selling ETFs

Buying or selling an ETF is straightforward, but the price you receive depends on the order type, bid-ask spread, market conditions and the fund's liquidity.

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A hand holding a pen over printed financial charts and graphs.
Guide

The Market for ETFs

The ETF market connects exchange trading with a primary creation and redemption mechanism that helps support liquidity, price discovery and a rapidly expanding range of investment exposures.

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Calendar, magnifying glass and coins on a desk representing investment time horizons.
Guide

Mutual Funds Investment Time Frames

A mutual fund’s suitability depends less on the labels “short term” or “long term” than on when you will need the money, what the fund owns and how much volatility you can absorb.

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Eyeglasses resting on printed financial market tables and reports.
Guide

Actively Traded Versus Index Funds

Active funds rely on manager decisions to add value, while index funds aim to capture a benchmark more mechanically, making costs, benchmark fit and manager risk central to the choice.

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Two people reviewing printed charts and planning documents at a wooden table.
Guide

Mutual Funds Asset Classes

Understanding mutual fund asset classes means separating the investments a fund owns from labels such as growth or income, then combining those exposures to fit risk, time horizon and goals.

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