Mark Cussen Expertise: Life insurance, Annuities, Retirement planning, Tax planning Title: Freelance Personal Finance Writer Education: University of Kansas Location: Overland Park, Kansas Highlights Expert consultant in life insurance, annuities, and retirement with 16 years of experienceArticles have been published on The Balance, Investopedia, and Money CrashersCurrently provides financial planning services to government employees Experience Mark Cussen has been educating people on the subjects of life insurance, annuities, and retirement for more than 16 years. Over the past two decades, he's developed expertise as a financial counselor, estate planning guide, and more. All the while, he has written about tax preparation and life insurance for The Balance, as well as other finance sites like Money Crashers and Investopedia.Mark currently continues to freelance, and is also a member of the Estate Planning Team, which is a membership group of legal and financial service professionals dedicated to helping people preserve their wealth and protect their estates. In the past, he has provided financial services counseling and educational training to many people, including specifically military service members. Education Mark Cussen received a Bachelor's of Science from the University of Kansas. About The Balance The Balance, a Dotdash Meredith brand, makes money easy to understand. We give people tools they need to not only make smart financial decisions but also prepare for the experiences they will have along the way. Our team of expert writers and editors have extensive qualifications in the topics they cover, and many of them have MBAs, PhDs, CFPs, and other advanced degrees and professional certifications. We require our writers to use primary sources in their articles, which are also approved by our Financial Review Board and fact-checked. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.