About

The Internet Friendly Finance Opinion Unit Shifter Blog

Mike Konczal (who has also blogged under the pseudonym Mike Rorty) is a financial engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area. Originally from Chicago, he enjoys finance, economics, sociology, theory, tacos, whiskey and center-left politics on the side.

Feel free to contact him here. The views expressed here are Mike’s own, and do not reflect the opinions or views of any of his employers or wordpress.

This blog is often written in “extra-drowsy extra-geek” mode; do not read before operating heavy machinery.

Raves and Reviews

“There were also a couple of financial specialists who beautifully adapted to the rush of general interest…And some lab somewhere grew the astonishing talent that is Mike [Konczal].”
- Ezra Klein

“In the end, the expected take-down came from finance whiz Mike Konczal, solidifying even further his status as the Italian Vogue of the econoblogosphere: the best that there is, read by everybody who matters, if nobody else.”
- Felix Salmon

“Rortybomb has been a juggernaut of must-read commentary on regulatory reform this week. Just start at the top and read down.”
- Ryan Avent (Economist’s Free Exchange)

“Mike is a bona fide financial engineer with the good sense to live in the San Francisco area, and is a natural with economics, finance, public policy, and the English language.”
- James Kwak

“In two posts, the amazing Rortybomb tries to make sense of credit-card-pricing mysteries, including this one, using ideas we learned in finance class. Only his training in critical theory prevents a Scanners-style head explosion.”
- Steve Randy Waldman

“Why not try giving one of these quirky expert types a shot…If I was running the show [at The Washington Post's op-ed page], I’d probably draft Jim Manzi. Or that bald dude from Rortybomb.”
- Will (Ordinary Gentlemen)