Brian Baker, CFA

Former Senior Writer, Investing and Retirement

16

Years of experience

EXPERTISE

Investing
Wealth management
Behavioral finance
Stock analysis and valuation

EDUCATION

CFA Institute
Bachelor of Arts, Finance, Michigan State University
Master of Science, Journalism, Northwestern University

Investing can be intimidating, but following some basic principles can put you on the path to achieving your financial goals.
— Brian Baker, CFA

Brian Baker, CFA, covered investing and retirement for Bankrate. He previously worked in equity research at Diamond Hill Capital Management and is a CFA Charterholder. His work has appeared online in various publications including MarketWatch, Fortune, the Omaha World-Herald, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Detroit News, MSN and Yahoo Finance. He also serves on the Investment Task Force for the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing.

Prior to joining Bankrate, he covered mergers and acquisitions for MLex Market Insight in Washington, D.C. Baker is passionate about helping people make sense of complicated financial topics so that they can better plan for their financial futures.

Readers can rely on his articles to learn more about a variety of investing topics such as how to start investing, investing through mutual funds, when to sell a stock and how investors can manage their emotions.

Baker’s passion for investing developed in college after reading about the success of long-term investors like Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger.

Investing can be intimidating, but following some basic principles can put you on the path to achieving your financial goals.
— Brian Baker, CFA

Brian's Picks

Warren Buffett display at 2025 Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting.

4 MIN READ

Warren Buffett to step down as Berkshire Hathaway CEO: 5 takeaways from the annual meeting

Five key takeaways from Warren Buffett at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting.

Image of a person holding a mobile phone that showing a stock performance graph with Buy and Sell buttons at the bottom of the screen.

4 MIN READ

5 strategies to build confidence while investing in the stock market

Want to feel more confident about investing? These tips can help.

Brian's latest articles

The Augusta Rule: How to earn tax-free rental income

How to earn tax-free income by renting out your home.

4 min read Apr 08, 2025
VIX index: How Wall Street’s ‘fear gauge’ measures stock market volatility

Heard of the VIX, but not quite sure what it means? We’ll give you the basics on this popular volatility index.

3 min read Apr 07, 2025
Recession fears are rising — 4 investments to avoid if this isn’t a drill

Avoiding certain investments during a recession can help minimize damages to your returns.

3 min read Apr 04, 2025
Margin call: What it is and how to avoid one

If a margin account with your broker runs short of funds, you could face a margin call. Here’s what that means.

5 min read Apr 03, 2025
Going to cash? 5 things to consider before taking money out of the stock market

Going to cash requires careful consideration of investment goals, risk tolerance and tax implications.

5 min read Apr 03, 2025
Survey: Market pros see stocks recovering from tariff shock, favor international stocks over next year

Here’s how much experts expect stocks to rise over the next 12 months.

5 min read Apr 03, 2025
Biggest stock market crashes in US history

What history has taught us about stock market crashes.

7 min read Apr 03, 2025
7 tips to build wealth in your 30s

Your 30s can bring some big life events. Here’s how to save and invest in order to tackle your goals.

8 min read Apr 02, 2025