Banking & Financial Research Experts

Independent Financial Market Analysis Led by Richard C. Whalen

Trusted Voice in Banking, Credit Risk, and U.S. Financial Policy

At Whalen Global Advisors LLC, we specialize in delivering independent, institutional-grade insights into U.S. banking, credit markets, and financial regulation. Our flagship publication, The Institutional Risk Analyst, offers timely analysis for professionals who need to understand risk, spot macroeconomic shifts, and navigate regulatory complexity.

We offer a range of research products and services that help professionals stay ahead of financial and systemic risk. These include:

The Institutional Risk Analyst – Our weekly research newsletter featuring commentary on banking performance, monetary policy, and broader credit market dynamics.
The IRA Bank Book – A quarterly report that tracks the state of the U.S. banking sector, including balance sheet strength, earnings trends, and risk indicators.
The WGA Bank Top 100 Index – A proprietary snapshot of the nation’s top banks, ranked by financial condition and asset quality.
Advisory Services – Custom research, investor briefings, and consultation for hedge funds, family offices, asset managers, and banking professionals.
Educational Tools – In addition to our glossary and FAQ section, we maintain a regularly updated blog where we expand on newsletter topics, policy developments, and market signals—offering clear, practical analysis for professionals and readers alike.

Why Financial Professionals Trust Us

In today’s fast-moving financial environment, clarity is everything. Our readers and clients turn to us because we offer:

Independence. We don’t manage money, promote products, or play to headlines. We publish what we believe is true and actionable.
Clarity. We explain complex financial trends in plain language. Our writing is direct, our arguments are sourced, and our conclusions are useful.
Experience. We've been doing this for decades—on Wall Street, inside rating agencies, and in policy circles. We know how the system works from the inside out.

Our audience includes:

Institutional investors
Bank executives and credit officers
Analysts and financial journalists
Public policy professionals, regulators, and think tanks

We don’t follow the noise—we focus on the signals that matter.

About

Richard Christopher Whalen

Richard Christopher Whalen is an investment banker and author based in New York. He is Chairman of Whalen Global Advisors LLC and the editor of The Institutional Risk Analyst, a respected weekly newsletter covering financial markets and public policy.

His expertise spans banking, mortgage finance, fintech, and structured credit. Over the past 30 years, he has worked as a financial professional, author, and policy analyst in Washington, New York, and London. From 2014 to 2017, Mr. Whalen served as Senior Managing Director and Head of Research at Kroll Bond Rating Agency, where he led the firm’s Financial Institutions and Corporate Ratings groups. Before that, he was Principal of Institutional Risk Analytics for a decade.

Earlier in his career, he served with the House Republican Conference under Rep. Jack Kemp. In 1993, Whalen became the first journalist to publish the previously undisclosed minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), then under Fed Chair Alan Greenspan.

He has also held positions at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc., Prudential Securities, Tangent Capital, and Carrington Mortgage Holdings.

Whalen earned his B.A. in History from Villanova University. He is the author of several books, including:

Ford Men: From Inspiration to Enterprise (2017)
Financial Stability: Fraud, Confidence & the Wealth of Nations (with Frederick Feldkamp)
Inflated: Money, Debt and the American Dream (2025)

His public service includes a six-year term on the FINRA Economic Advisory Committee (2011–2023). He was a fellow at Indiana State University, a finance advisor to the Villanova School of Business, and a board member of the Global Interdependence Center in Philadelphia.

Mr. Whalen contributes to National Mortgage News, Housing Wire, and Zero Hedge, and regularly appears on Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, and Fox Business. He also served as a technical advisor for Season 5 of Showtime’s Billions. He remains active on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn, where he shares ongoing insights and commentary. He is a member of The Mortgage Bankers Association and The Lotos Club of New York.

Our Mission Moving Forward