Ken calls himself, “a historian who manages money”. Since 1991, the use of his proprietary historical research has led to an impressive record of accurate multi-year financial forecasts.

Today, Winans Investments is a Morningstar® top-rated investment management firm managing equity, fixed-income and commodity portfolios for hundreds of clients across America and still works with many of the original clients. In 2019, the International Association of Top Professionals named Mr. Winans, “Top Money Manager of the Decade”.

Ken is one of the few investment professionals dually licensed as a Registered Investment Advisor and Commodity Trading Advisor.

Ken Winans left a promising career with Merrill Lynch and started Winans Investments in 1992 with only seven clients. He envisioned an independent advisory practice that would be different from other investment firms, countering the impersonal, one-size-fits-all approach to investing. Through innovative investment strategies made possible by his own research, he believed he could manage individual portfolios to meet the specific needs of each client.

It started in the small mountain town of Big Bear Lake, CA. Ken began trading stocks as a 17-year-old high school student after taking an economics class.

During his pursuit of a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics at the University of San Diego, Ken earned his real estate associate license, worked part-time for California Brokers of San Diego and completed an internship at the Los Angeles office of the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. Later, at EF Hutton & Company, he conducted computerized stock selection for a 45-year veteran stockbroker and successfully competed in the 1986 U.S. Investing Championship. As an MBA student at the University of San Francisco working toward a master’s in finance, Ken joined the research department of Sutro & Company.

After completing his academic studies in the wake of the 1987 stock market crash, one of his former supervisors asked him to become technical analyst for the upstart Chicago-based Compass Investment Group. Each day, he worked with the firm’s traders on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in many different types of commodity futures.

Ken joined Merrill Lynch & Company in 1990 as a Registered Investment Advisor and Commodity Trading Advisor and earned many awards & accolades for successfully increasing clientele.

In 1992, he founded Winans Investments (RIA) and Winans Commodities (CTA) in 2023.

Radio Show, Articles & Books

Ken is host to Las Vegas’ acclaimed financial radio show & podcast, “Winning With Winans” on 840AM (WinningWithWinans.com).

Throughout his career, his investment research has been published as headline articles by international media outlets. Since 2011, Mr. Winans has written over 46 articles as a contributing writer for Forbes.com, with several named “Editor’s Pick”.

Mr. Winans has written and published five award-winning books:

• “Investment Atlas III – Creating Wealth Using Historical Trends” (2023)
• “Investment Atlas II – Using History as a Financial Tool” (2019)
• “Preferred Stocks – The Art of Profitable Income Investing” (2010)
• “Investment Atlas – Financial Maps to Investment Success” (2008)
• “Preferreds – Wall Street’s Best-Kept Income Secret” (2007)

His books have won 46 honors in major international competitions. In 2019, The World Record Academy recognized him as the most honored non-fiction author in the world. The United States Senate awarded him a Certificate of Commendation for this achievement.

Financial Inventions

Mr. Winans pioneered the development of unique investment indexes and a technical trend indicator used by institutions such as Morningstar® and Bloomberg®:

• Winans Legacy Stock Index (WILSI) – 2013
• Winans Real Estate Index™ (WIREI™) – 2007
• Winans Preferred Stock Index® (WIPSI®) – 2005
• Winans Trend Indicator (Symbol: WTI) – 2002

Academic & Professional Credentials

Mr. Winans holds an MBA in Finance from the University of San Francisco (1987) and a BA in Business Economics from the University of San Diego (1985) with a minor in Military Science (ROTC/Reserve Duty, Honorable Discharge).

He is a Chartered Market Technician (CMT) (2006) and a Certified Cryptocurrency Trader (CCT) (2023).

From 1996 to 2001, he served as adjunct faculty at the Graduate School of Business at St. Mary’s College of California, teaching an investment management course he designed.

In 2004, the University of San Francisco named him one of its most celebrated graduates since 1854.

Ken is an active member of The CFA Institute and CMT Association. He serves on the board of CFA Society – Nevada and attended the 83rd Nevada State Legislature Session as a non-paid lobbyist for Las Vegas’ financial services industry. He is currently participating in Kaplan’s College for Financial Planning® program approved by CFP® Board (ID 639470).

Philanthropy

Ken serves as trustee/advisor for several non-profit organizations including the UNLV Lee Business School Advisory Board, Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce’s Financial Services Committee, The Winans Foundation of Nevada, and the Society of California Pioneers.

For over 20 years, he also served officer and/or board roles for organizations such as The Holland Society of New York, USS Hornet Museum, The Museum of American Finance, San Francisco Fleet Week Association, Chabot Space & Science Center, and The University of San Francisco Alumni Association.

In 2021, The International Association of Top Professionals named him “Man of the Year”.

Space Exploration Collection

Ken is working with community groups in Las Vegas and Nellis AFB to build a permanent aerospace museum in Las Vegas by 2030 featuring artifacts from The Winans Foundation of Nevada.

A life-long space enthusiast, Ken has amassed one of the largest private collections of space exploration artifacts, including spacesuits, a full-size Gemini capsule boilerplate, and items carried to the moon on Apollo missions.

In 2002, he co-founded The W Foundation and donated most of the collection for public STEM education. Many items are on permanent display at The USS Hornet Museum. The organization has attracted advisors such as Apollo 12 Astronaut Dick Gordon, Apollo 15 Astronaut Al Worden, actor Bill Pullman and game designer Will Wright.

In 2011, Ken founded “The Space Station” museum in Novato — a community STEM museum featuring real space-flown artifacts. At its closure in 2019, it had welcomed more than 147,000 visitors, including 22 astronauts.

Financial History Collection

Ken’s interest in finance began early, sparked by business-related family heirlooms. His collection now includes an Edison ticker tape, stock certificates signed by John Rockefeller, Colonial real estate deeds, and bond indentures once owned by Andrew Carnegie. Many items have been displayed at The Museum of American Finance, CFA Society San Francisco, and Winans Investments’ offices.

Personal & Pedigree

Ken is a resident of Las Vegas and enjoys the city with his German Shepherd, Anya. A lifelong athlete and sportsman, he travels internationally, rides horses & motorcycles, snow skis, scuba dives, shoots recreationally, cooks, and enjoys wine pairings.

He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Napa and Faith Lutheran Church in Summerlin.

Mr. Winans is a 12th-generation American whose Dutch ancestors established colonies in New York and New Jersey in the 1600s. Several were Founding Fathers and among America’s first multimillionaires.

His mother’s Swedish family immigrated to California in the 1850s and soon became national leaders in science, architecture, agriculture, and business. Many state landmarks honor their legacy.