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

If you’d invested in Home Depot’s IPO instead of a lawnmower, here’s how much you’d have

You won’t believe what a $1,000 investment in Home Depot’s IPO is worth today.

2 min read Apr 23, 2025
Bid-ask spread: What it is and how it works

Everything investors and traders should know about the bid-ask spread.

2 min read Apr 17, 2025
Retirement planning: What it is and 4 key first steps to get started

Ready to start planning for retirement? Here’s what you should know.

5 min read Apr 15, 2025
3 moves to protect your 401(k) from a market crash

Here are some ways to protect your hard-earned 401(k) when the market heads south.

6 min read Apr 10, 2025
Crypto during a recession: Here’s what to expect

Here’s what crypto experts say you should expect from digital assets if a recession is on the horizon.

4 min read Apr 10, 2025
What causes stock prices to change? 6 things that drive stocks higher and lower

Want to know what influences stock prices? Let’s take a look at the key drivers.

5 min read Apr 08, 2025
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