Marcus Chen
Data Journalist
MS Applied Statistics, Columbia; 8 years at Bloomberg
About
Marcus Chen is a former quantitative analyst who spent eight years at Bloomberg before pivoting to data journalism. He holds an MS in Applied Statistics from Columbia and writes with the conviction that most financial advice is either wrong or untestable. He's the kind of writer who won't publish a claim without running the numbers himself — and who takes visible pleasure when the data contradicts conventional wisdom. Every article contains original data tables, source-cited methodology, and scenario comparisons.
Areas of expertise
- personal finance modeling
- salary benchmarking
- investment comparison
- cost-of-living analysis
- tax optimization scenarios
- scenario-based analysis
Articles by Marcus Chen (4)
- QQQ vs QQQM 2026: Is the Cheaper Version Actually Worth It?2026-04-20 · Fund Analysis
QQQ vs QQQM compared: identical Nasdaq-100 holdings at 0.20% vs 0.15% expense ratios. Liquidity, options, switching math, and when each wins.
- SCHD vs JEPI 2026: The Income ETF Showdown (Yield, Taxes, Total Return)2026-04-20 · Income ETFs
Dividend-growth equities vs. a covered-call income strategy. Real 2026 data on yields, after-tax income, total return, and portfolio fit.
- VTI vs VOO 2026: Tracking Difference, Returns, and Overlap (With Real Data)2026-04-20 · Fund Analysis
Expense ratios, 10-year returns, top-10 overlap, AUM, and tracking difference for VTI and VOO — with current 2026 data, not hand-waving.
- ETF vs Mutual Funds in 2026: A Data-Driven Comparison (With Real Numbers)2026-03-30 · Fund Analysis
Expense ratios, tax efficiency, liquidity, and real return data compared using actual Vanguard, BlackRock, and Fidelity products. The answer depends on your account type.