Benjamin Barry is a self-directed investor and research-oriented writer. He has over twelve years of work experience in audit, technology risk, financial controls, and data analysis. This has included a stint at a Big Four firm, working in financial services, and holding several senior roles in business. In investing, he brings this background to bear by being a bit skeptical. He always looks at the underlying data, the hidden assumptions, and how backtested results compare with actual results. He writes on Investing, ETFs, Asset Allocation, Momentum/Trend Following, Options Trading, Income Strategies, Gold/Precious Metals, Real Estate Investing, and Portfolio Risk Management. His focus is on systematic and rules-based approaches. He doesn’t limit himself to any one area; he’ll consider any strategy or security that has favorable risk-adjusted returns and well-understood risks. On his personal portfolio, he’s worked in Growth, Income, Treasuries, Gold, and Options Strategies. He’s interested in repeatable strategies, diversification, controlling drawdowns, and understanding real-world factors such as costs and slippage. His credentials include an MS in Information Systems Audit and Control, an MA in Professional Writing, a BA in English Literature, and he is a Certified Information Systems Auditor. He writes on Seeking Alpha to share his work in a public forum. The purpose is to expose his analysis to outside scrutiny, to demonstrate how to turn high-level concepts into actionable analysis, and to share what works and what doesn’t. This helps his audience avoid succumbing to appealing but ultimately flimsy claims or marketing hype.