Mark J. Higgins, CFA, CFP® Author of Investing in U.S. Financial History

Financial Historian and Experienced Investment Advisor
Prior to writing Investing in U.S. Financial History, Mark served as an investment consultant for more than 12 years. In this role, he advised the trustees of large institutional investors such as endowments, pension plans, and corporate plans. In aggregate, the trustees of these institutions had fiduciary responsibility for more than $60 billion. Over the years, Mark observed many fundamentally flawed practices that led to suboptimal investment outcomes for both institutional and individual investors. Curious as to why these flaws persisted, he conducted extensive research of financial history to trace the chain of events that produced them.
Investing in U.S. Financial History shares the results of this endeavor. The overarching goal is to help individual investors and institutional trustees to develop a deeper appreciation for the invaluable lessons of financial history and use them to make better decisions. It is his sincerest hope that readers will use this book to improve their personal investment performance and the performance of those whom they serve.
Mark graduated from Georgetown University Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in English and Psychology. He received MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. Mark is a CFA charterholder and CFP® practitioner.
My Inspiration for Becoming an Author
I never had aspirations to be an author, but after reading hundreds of books, academic papers, and studies on financial history, I was surprised that a comprehensive book on the financial history of the United States did not exist. I concluded that the absence of such a book was a glaring deficiency for both the academic community and the investment profession. I wrote Investing in U.S. Financial History to help alleviate this deficiency.
Helping You Make Better Investment Decisions
Conducting research for the book has proven to be the most valuable educational experience of my life. The most shocking discovery is that almost every financial event that occurs today involves some combination of past events. By understanding how these events have affected markets in the past, one begins to understand the present and potential future with greater clarity.
It is my hope that this book transplants the lessons of financial history into the minds of readers throughout the world. I firmly believe that it will enable investors, trustees and investment professionals to make better investment decisions.