Ben is an editor at Lombardi Financial, specializing in politics, macroeconomics, and precious metals investing. Ben has an affinity for contrarian investment ideas neglected by the mainstream media. Before joining Lombardi Publishing, he worked as an equities trader on a major Bay Street investment desk. He also served as Vice President of Bitgold, an international payments service which allows people to transfer funds and hold savings with physical gold. Ben has profiled, covered, and written investment profiles on thousands of companies, both publicly and privately listed. His work has been featured on Business Television and in The Globe & Mail. Outside of his professional life, Ben enjoys time outdoors, family getaways, and following professional baseball.

Get to know Ben…

How did you first get involved in the capital markets?

I started my career on Bay Street as an equities trader. While training myself on the company account, I was consistently making profits for the firm. Thus, my career in the capital markets was born.

Was your first attempt at trading successful, and how has this shaped your investing opinions?

My investment philosophy has changed over the years, in part to negative changes in exchange rules disfavoring average investors and a maturation of general economic philosophies. While it is more difficult to reap profits with “day trading” strategies, consistent market-beating strategies are still available to those who understand trends and think outside-the-box.

What has been the most memorable moment in your investing career?

Viewing the events of 9/11 happen live on CNBC during the pre-market period. As you can imagine, there was substantial calamity and confusion initially as the tragic events unfolded. When the markets re-opened on September 17, 2001, experiencing the panic selling first-hand was breathtaking. It was the type of market action one never forgets.