BEN CARLSON, CFA
In a world where financial media competes for your attention with noise and prediction, Ben Carlson does something rare: he writes clearly, honestly, and without an agenda.
His blog, A Wealth of Common Sense , cuts through the confusion around investing and gets to the truth — backed by data, delivered in plain English, free of the conflicts that compromise so many financial voices.
"Good enough is often the enemy of better when it comes to investing."
Ben is a portfolio manager at Ritholtz Wealth Management, which means he works with real investors navigating real markets — not just writing theory from the sidelines. That practical experience shows. He understands what makes investors anxious, what matters over the long term, and how to explain the gap between the two.
His books — A Wealth of Common Sense and Organizational Alpha — are equally worth your time. What I appreciate most about Ben is that he never pretends the answers are simple when they're not — but he always finds a way to make them understandable. That's a rare skill.
— Paul Merriman