James Cowan is the Investing and Personal Finance Editor at The Globe and Mail, where he deciphers complex financial markets for Canadian readers. With a career spanning Maclean’s, Canadian Business, and National Post, his work blends data-driven analysis with consumer advocacy.
“The most compelling pitches demonstrate exactly how financial products affect household balance sheets over 5-year periods.”
Awarded by the US LGBTQ+ Bar Association for inclusive financial reporting, Cowan prioritizes stories that reveal systemic inequities in wealth-building mechanisms. Avoid speculative trading or cryptocurrency pitches unless paired with regulatory enforcement angles.
James Cowan’s journalism career began at Maclean’s and Canadian Business, where he honed his ability to dissect economic trends. His transition to The Globe and Mail in 2015 marked a shift toward deep-dive financial analysis, particularly in personal finance and corporate strategy. Over a decade, Cowan has become synonymous with actionable insights for everyday investors and nuanced critiques of fiscal policy.
“Rather than pay billions to keep refugees in hotels, the UK could invest more in programmes to help people stay closer to their homes in safety.”
Cowan consistently highlights retirement solutions addressing Canada’s aging population. His 2024 series on hybrid annuity products demonstrates appetite for stories blending actuarial science with consumer behavior analysis. Pitches should include actuarial data paired with human-interest angles.
With 18 ESG-focused articles since 2023, Cowan prioritizes funds balancing returns with measurable environmental impact. Successful pitches reference specific UN Sustainable Development Goals alignment.
His coverage of InsurTech startups like Lemonade and Root Insurance shows particular interest in AI-driven underwriting models. Include loss ratio improvements exceeding 15% when pitching novel risk-assessment technologies.
Cowan’s “Financial Resilience Project” examines strategies for households earning $50k-$150k annually. Prioritize case studies with 5+ year wealth tracking data.
His OSC fee structure investigation (2023) set the standard for explaining bureaucratic changes through small business impacts. Pitch regulatory stories using mom-and-pop business case studies.
Recognized by the US LGBTQ+ Bar Association for championing diversity in financial journalism through inclusive retirement planning coverage. This award highlights Cowan’s unique intersectional approach to personal finance reporting.
His series on pandemic-era investment fraud was shortlisted for its innovative use of blockchain analysis tools to trace cryptocurrency scams, setting new standards for forensic financial journalism.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Personal Finance, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
