Measuring by net worth, it’s likely that the vast majority of Americans are better off than they were in 2020 – or even before the COVID-19 pandemic – meaning they have less debt relative to their assets. This is in no small part thanks to the trillions of dollars in pandemic-related spending by the U.S. government.
Author Archives: D. Brian Blank/Mississippi State University
Dr. D. Brian Blank is an assistant professor of finance at Mississippi State University. He received his doctoral degree from the University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business, where he developed expertise researching corporate finance and governance. His dissertation focused on corporate political contributions. He has published in journals including the Journal of Corporate Finance, European Financial Management, Financial Review, the Journal of Financial Research, and the Journal of Housing Research. Dr. Blank also received the 2016 American Accounting Association Ohio Region Meeting Andrews Best Paper Award. He has received invitations to present his research at conferences such as the Financial Management Association, Eastern Finance Association, Southern Finance Association, European Financial Management Association Annual Meeting, and the American Real Estate Society Annual Meetings.
Dr. Blank received his undergraduate education at the University of Alabama, where he also received Masters of Science degrees in Finance and Applied Statistics. Afterwards, he began his career as a Consultant with Accounting, Economics & Appraisal Group, where he provided assistance to companies facing critical challenges including fraud, bankruptcy and litigation. His projects included advising a financial institution victim to a $500 million ponzi scheme; consulting for one of the ten largest United States-based financial institutions; performing due diligence for an international healthcare acquisition; and valuing a business interrupted by the costliest disaster in the history of the United States.