The Malcolm Berko Blog

After graduating from high school in 1956 Berko toured the country on a Harley Hog for 11 months earning travel money driving cabs in Miami, painting homes in Dallas, washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant in Flagstaff, loading cargo in Los Angeles, selling aluminum siding in South Bend and writing fiction for pulp magazines. He joined Merrill Lynch as a night clerk in 1957 (while in college) and got fired in late 1959 just before finishing college in January of 1960.  Berko then spent 2 years in graduate school, sold his Harley , got married and joined Thomson McKinnon  Securities  as a broker in 1962.  In 1970 he joined Reynolds securities as a VP and manager.  In 1976 he returned to Thomson & McKinnon which was bought out by Prudential in 1989.  He was fired by Prudential 6 months later and joined Advest Securities as Senior Vice President/Manager in 1990.  When Advest was purchased by Merrill Lynch in 2005 Berko joined Moors & Cabot.  In January of 2007 the New York Stock Exchanges-with whom Berko has had an ongoing battle due to comments in his column-insisted that Berko discontinue his column or terminate his employment with Moor’s & Cabot.  In January of 2007 Berko hung up his tools.  In the past 50 years Berko has been a published poet, earned a 3rd degree black belt in judo, been a nationally ranked handball player and with his wife raised two children one of whom is is a physician and the other an attorney.  Berko was a fee based portfolio manager with a  $1.2 billion portfolio, hosted a twice a weekly, call-in radio show for 14 years, taught investment courses at several colleges, climbed Mt. Everest (unsuccessfully) twice, backpacks the Himalayas, owned a Cessna, collects fire arms, old stock certificates, signed first edition books and writes a nationally syndicated financial column. And by invitation, he shares his pithy and humorous comments on politics the stock market and social issues with audiences around the country.