James Royal, PhD

Principal Writer on Investing at Bankrate at Red Ventures

United States Contact Info
663 followers 500+ connections

Join to view profile

About

Author of The Zen of Thrift Conversions. Veteran writer and stock analyst with a history of working in the financial-services industry. Skilled in investment management, financial analysis, behavioral finance, and writing. Strong media and communication pro with a Ph.D. in English from the University of Florida.

Articles by James

Activity

Join now to see all activity

Experience

  • Red Ventures

    Red Ventures

    5 years 7 months

    • Red Ventures Graphic

      Principal Writer on Investing and Wealth Management at Bankrate

      Red Ventures

      - Present 3 years

      • Edited and managed freelance and in-house articles, focused on improving engagement and SEO
      • Researched and wrote articles on investing, personal finance, brokerages, estate planning, IRA and wealth management for Bankrate.com informed by SEO
      • Represented Bankrate on TV, radio and print media (live and taped) discussing stocks, investing and behavioral finance
      • Domain expertise includes personal finance, investing, portfolio and wealth management, behavioral finance, mutual funds,…

      • Edited and managed freelance and in-house articles, focused on improving engagement and SEO
      • Researched and wrote articles on investing, personal finance, brokerages, estate planning, IRA and wealth management for Bankrate.com informed by SEO
      • Represented Bankrate on TV, radio and print media (live and taped) discussing stocks, investing and behavioral finance
      • Domain expertise includes personal finance, investing, portfolio and wealth management, behavioral finance, mutual funds, ETFs, asset allocation, stock analysis, and brokerages

    • Red Ventures Graphic

      Senior Reporter on Investing at Bankrate

      Red Ventures

      - 2 years 8 months

      Greater New York City Area

  • NerdWallet Graphic

    Investing Writer

    NerdWallet

    - 1 year 6 months

    Washington D.C. Metro Area

    • Researched and wrote articles on investing for NerdWallet’s site as well as The Associated Press and other partners.
    • Optimized and audited articles for SEO, based on data from Google Analytics, Tableau, SEMrush, Clicktale, and other analytics tools
    • Domain expertise includes personal finance, portfolio management, behavioral finance, mutual funds, ETFs, asset allocation, stock analysis and selection, and brokerages
    • Articles:…

    • Researched and wrote articles on investing for NerdWallet’s site as well as The Associated Press and other partners.
    • Optimized and audited articles for SEO, based on data from Google Analytics, Tableau, SEMrush, Clicktale, and other analytics tools
    • Domain expertise includes personal finance, portfolio management, behavioral finance, mutual funds, ETFs, asset allocation, stock analysis and selection, and brokerages
    • Articles: https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/author/jroyalnerdwallet-com/

  • The Motley Fool

    The Motley Fool

    8 years 1 month

    • The Motley Fool Graphic

      Advisor, Special Ops

      The Motley Fool

      - 2 years 2 months

      Alexandria, VA

      • Led the investing team at Special Ops to find outperforming special-situations investments, including spinoffs, demutualizations, recapitalizations, et al.
      • Developed valuation methodologies for analyzing special situations and made trading decisions in a real-money portfolio, advising subscribers when to buy and sell
      • Researched and wrote articles for publication, including weekly commentaries detailing state of the market and portfolio reviews
      • Built stronger website…

      • Led the investing team at Special Ops to find outperforming special-situations investments, including spinoffs, demutualizations, recapitalizations, et al.
      • Developed valuation methodologies for analyzing special situations and made trading decisions in a real-money portfolio, advising subscribers when to buy and sell
      • Researched and wrote articles for publication, including weekly commentaries detailing state of the market and portfolio reviews
      • Built stronger website community through customer interactions on message boards, creating engagement in order to lead to greater customer retention

    • The Motley Fool Graphic

      Research Analyst, Special Ops

      The Motley Fool

      - 3 years 4 months

      Alexandria, VA

      • Researched and prospected for great stocks at Special Ops, the company’s premium newsletter focused on special-situations investing
      • Researched, edited, and wrote articles for publication at Special Ops, including weekly commentaries detailing state of the market and portfolio reviews
      • Built stronger website community through customer interactions on message boards, creating engagement in order to lead to greater customer retention
      • Participated in, researched, and wrote for…

      • Researched and prospected for great stocks at Special Ops, the company’s premium newsletter focused on special-situations investing
      • Researched, edited, and wrote articles for publication at Special Ops, including weekly commentaries detailing state of the market and portfolio reviews
      • Built stronger website community through customer interactions on message boards, creating engagement in order to lead to greater customer retention
      • Participated in, researched, and wrote for the Rising Stars Program, a real-money portfolio

    • The Motley Fool Graphic

      Financial Editor

      The Motley Fool

      - 2 years 9 months

      Alexandria, VA

      • Managed pool of contract and in-house writers, assigning news stories and analysis for publication on fool.com based on SEO and coverage needs
      • Researched, edited, and wrote financial articles for daily publication on the company’s website
      • Selected for the company’s Analyst Development Program, a year-long curriculum articulating the principles of good investing
      • Researched and composed revenue-generating copy for the premium newsletter business, resulting in sales of thousands…

      • Managed pool of contract and in-house writers, assigning news stories and analysis for publication on fool.com based on SEO and coverage needs
      • Researched, edited, and wrote financial articles for daily publication on the company’s website
      • Selected for the company’s Analyst Development Program, a year-long curriculum articulating the principles of good investing
      • Researched and composed revenue-generating copy for the premium newsletter business, resulting in sales of thousands of newsletter subscriptions

  • University of Florida Graphic

    Freelance Technical Writer

    University of Florida

    - 5 years 1 month

    Gainesville, Florida

    • Drafted and edited technical documents, proposals, and articles for the College of Engineering and the Department of Chemistry
    • Responsible for editing lengthy (100+ pages), multi-million-dollar proposals to federal agencies, with quick turn-around

  • Sage Graphic

    Technical Documentation Specialist

    Sage

    - 1 year

    Gainesville, FL

    • Drafted and edited technical documentation for Sage products, including the company’s flagship software suite for the healthcare industry, Intergy
    • Converted 500-page documentation manual from Microsoft Word to Adobe Framemaker

  • Ford Motor Company Graphic

    English Editor

    Ford Motor Company

    - 2 years 8 months

    Cologne, Germany

    Editor at Ford of Europe's headquarters in Cologne

    • Researched, wrote, and edited pan-European in-house communications for Ford of Europe, including magazines, video-news scripts, and intranet sites
    • Extended responsibilities to include video-script and news writing, interviewing executives, reporting on-site, and translation
    • Researched, wrote and edited monthly pan-European internet newsletter for the Communications Vice President

Education

  • University of Florida Graphic

    University of Florida

    PhD English

    -

    Activities and Societies: • Math Tutor, University of Florida’s Teaching Center, 2008 • Mentor, University Writing Program, 2007 – 2008 • Instructor, STEPUP, a UF program for minorities and women in engineering, 2005 – 2007

    • Concentration in 20th-century American studies
    • Dissertation: “Buddhism and the Production of American Cool”
    • 4.0 / 4.0
    • GRE – V : 720 Q : 770 A : 800
    • Won College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dissertation Fellowship
    • Won Graduate School Teaching Award 2007
    • Organized syllabi and developed daily plans for courses: ENC 3254 – Professional Writing; ENC 2210 – Technical Communication; AML 2410 – “Looking for the Exotic” and “The Beats vs. Capitalism”; AML…

    • Concentration in 20th-century American studies
    • Dissertation: “Buddhism and the Production of American Cool”
    • 4.0 / 4.0
    • GRE – V : 720 Q : 770 A : 800
    • Won College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dissertation Fellowship
    • Won Graduate School Teaching Award 2007
    • Organized syllabi and developed daily plans for courses: ENC 3254 – Professional Writing; ENC 2210 – Technical Communication; AML 2410 – “Looking for the Exotic” and “The Beats vs. Capitalism”; AML 2070 – Survey of American Literature; AML 4242 – Studies in American Literature, “The Beats and their Legacy”; ENC 1101 – Argumentation and Persuasive Writing; and ENC 1102 – Argument through Literature

  • University of Florida Graphic

    University of Florida

    MA English

    -

    Activities and Societies: • Graduate Assistants United Representative for the Dept of English, 1999 - 2000

    • Concentration in 20th-century American studies
    • Thesis: “The Ideology of Control in Watchmen”
    • 3.94 / 4.0
    • Organized and developed daily plans for ENC 2210, ENC 1101, and ENC 1102

  • University of Florida Graphic

    University of Florida

    BS Management, German, Economics

    -

    Activities and Societies: • Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society

    • President’s List for 4.0 in overall business coursework, 1994 -- 1996
    • 3.84 / 4.0
    • Twice awarded Goethe Institute German Book Prize at University of Florida
    • National Merit Scholar Finalist, 1993
    • Studied abroad, in Mannheim, Germany, for a two-month intensive study in German culture and language

Publications

  • The Zen of Thrift Conversions

    You'll learn everything you want to know to invest successfully in these hidden gems:

    -- Discover how to systematically uncover these hidden gems

    -- Invest even before they go public

    -- Find banks so cheap they’re worth more dead than alive

    -- Analyze how to buy them and what to look for – even let pro analysts value them for you

    -- Hear from three expert investors who dominate this niche

    -- Supercharge your returns by getting these top professionals to…

    You'll learn everything you want to know to invest successfully in these hidden gems:

    -- Discover how to systematically uncover these hidden gems

    -- Invest even before they go public

    -- Find banks so cheap they’re worth more dead than alive

    -- Analyze how to buy them and what to look for – even let pro analysts value them for you

    -- Hear from three expert investors who dominate this niche

    -- Supercharge your returns by getting these top professionals to work for you

    See publication

  • “Case Study: Schiller Special Situations a Go-Go at Bob Evans Farms”

    How to Profit From Special Situations in the Stock Market

    See publication

  • “Case Study: Classic Spinoff at the Ensign Group.” Fortunes in Special Situations in the Stock Market: The Authorized Edition.

    CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

    A case study of the Ensign Group's 2014 spinoff of CareTrust REIT and how it created predictable profits for investors.

    See publication

  • Do you know what's hiding in your ETF?

    The Associated Press/NerdWallet

    Exchange-traded funds have swept the stock market over the past decade and been a blessing for many investors. But while large index-based funds, such as those that track the Standard & Poor’s 500, may fairly represent the index’s stocks, smaller niche ETFs don’t always deliver strictly what their names promise, and you might wind up indirectly buying a lot of something you didn’t really want.

    See publication

  • Television in the Workplace: Ford and FCN TV

    Communications and Critical / Cultural Studies

    Television is slowly but methodically penetrating into a range of heretofore privileged non-domestic sites – a virgin territory for the technology following its near ubiquity in living spaces. Not only are television sets emerging in quite public places like subway stations and airports, but in semi-public places such as the doctor’s office or even schools. As with its emergence in the home, television re-structures the values of these locations, disrupting or re-aligning the boundaries of such…

    Television is slowly but methodically penetrating into a range of heretofore privileged non-domestic sites – a virgin territory for the technology following its near ubiquity in living spaces. Not only are television sets emerging in quite public places like subway stations and airports, but in semi-public places such as the doctor’s office or even schools. As with its emergence in the home, television re-structures the values of these locations, disrupting or re-aligning the boundaries of such dichotomies as labor/leisure, private/public and management/labor, toward an operation more consonant with its values but always inflected by the site-specific conditions of its setting. This re-alignment offers an insight into the power of television technology to re-shape the type and quality of human interactions through its presence in these non-domestic areas.

    See publication

Languages

  • German

    -

  • Spanish

    -

  • French

    -

More activity by James

View James’ full profile

  • See who you know in common
  • Get introduced
  • Contact James directly
Join to view full profile

People also viewed

Explore collaborative articles

We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.

Explore More

Add new skills with these courses

See all courses