About

Susan Mangiero, PhD, CFA, is an award-winning financial writer, published book author, narrative strategist, and executive ghostwriter specializing in financial services, fintech, and investment management.

Her publishing record includes Risk Management for Pensions, Endowments, and Foundations (John Wiley & Sons), a self-published book about kindness, more than 50 articles about finance, governance, and investment management, and chapters in four edited business books. She also authored more than 1,000 posts for Pension Risk Matters, an investment and retirement blog recognized with a Best Blog award in 2008 by Pensions & Investments, a Crain Communications publication. Her investigative article, “A Bad Return on Your Money,” published in FRAUD Magazine, received a 2024 Azbee Gold Award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors.

Susan publishes Money Mainly, a Substack newsletter offering insights on how financial narratives shape risk, markets, and decision-making. She is also a co-editor of the Pension Risk Management eJournal for Elsevier's Social Science Research Network.

Her professional experience includes Wall Street trading, financial risk management, valuation, university teaching, expert witness work, and entrepreneurship. As CEO of Investment Governance, Inc., she raised $2 million to develop a proprietary knowledge-sharing portal for institutional investors and their advisors.

Susan holds a PhD in Finance, an MBA in Finance, an MA in Economics, and an MFA in Creative and Professional Writing. Through I Paint With Words, LLC, she provides executive ghostwriting, narrative strategy, and thought leadership services to financial organizations and executives.

Featured Work

New Yardsticks for PE Investing

2026
Financial Graphs

Published in the January/February 2026 issue of Financial Advisor Magazine, “New Yardsticks for PE Investing” by Susan Mangiero examines the need for more effective methods of evaluating private equity investment performance as the asset class becomes increasingly accessible to investors. The article highlights the importance of meaningful performance benchmarks and measurement practices for assessing private equity investments and making informed investment decisions.

Other Works

  • Alternatives & ERISA Retirement Plans: What Advisors Need to Know

    2025

  • Marketing to Institutional Investors in the Digital Age

    2022

  • Insight: Calling ERISA Ghostbusters-The Rise of Independent Fiduciaries

    2020

  • If You Want World Peace, Try Telling a Joke

    2020

  • An Economist's Perspective of Fiduciary Monitoring of Investments

    2015

  • Economic Analysis in Fiduciary Monitoring Disputes Following the Supreme Court's 'Tibble' Ruling

    2015

  • Muni Bonds, Pension Liabilities, and Investment Due Diligence

    2014

  • Private Equity Funds and Pension Plans: A Changing Dynamic

    2014

  • Avoiding FCPA Liability by Tightening Internal Controls

    2014

  • ERISA Plans and Service Provider Due Diligence

    2012

  • Pension risk, governance, and CFO liability

    2011

  • The Valuation Challenge: Swapping Out

    2009

  • Working Effectively with a Financial Expert Witness

    2008

  • Will Executive Option Issues Drive the Next Wave of Pension Litigation?

    2007

  • Hedge Fund Basics: Risk, Return, and Reality

    2005

  • Complex Compensation Issues in a Divorce

    2005

  • Hedge Fund Imperatives

    2004

  • Asset Valuation: Not a Trivial Pursuit

    2004

  • Risk Management for Pensions, Endowments and Foundations

    2004

Awards and Recognition

  • 2008 Best Blog Award — Pensions & Investments (Crain Communications). Recognized for Pension Risk Matters, a blog examining pension and investment risk management, governance, financial markets, and retirement-related issues. Published from 2006 to 2017, the blog featured more than 1,000 original posts providing analysis and insights for institutional investors, pension professionals, and financial decision-makers.
  • 2024 Azbee Award of Excellence, Central Region Gold, All Content–Impact/Investigative. Awarded by the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) for “A Bad Return on Your Money,” an investigative article published in FRAUD Magazine. The Azbee Awards recognize excellence in business-to-business journalism and editorial content.