Dagen McDowell Biography

Television business news has become a mainstay of our daily information diet in our fast-paced society. Many people watch FOX Business Network on a regular basis, where host Dagen McDowell and her colleagues inject real energy and enthusiasm into today's business news. McDowell's humor, intellect, and down-to-earth demeanor have enabled her to engage with viewers as she explains how the day's financial news affects their lives. McDowell, a successful financial writer and a native of Brookneal, Virginia, lends a touch of Southern charm and genuineness to her job as co-anchor with Stuart Varney every weekday from noon to 2 p.m. EST. McDowell also works as a business correspondent for the FOX News Channel (FNC), where she can be seen on two popular FNC business programs, "Cashin' In" and "Your World With Neil Cavuto." Dagen-McDowell McDowell claims her foray into financial writing was unanticipated, despite having a strong interest in all things business. She spent time in Colorado after graduating from Wake Forest University with a degree in art history, working in a variety of odd jobs. “Then I packed my vehicle and moved to New York City, where I barely knew a few people,” McDowell explains. She interviewed for a number of entry-level employment, including one with the New York City Public Library, but ultimately chose to work for Institutional Investor's newsletter section, a well-known and well-respected financial journal. She developed her interest in money and business when she was there. “I took a reporting test, passed it, and was hired,” McDowell remembers. “I had never considered a career in finance or business before, but it appealed to me as both intriguing and difficult. My 312 years as a reporter there provided me with the greatest on-the-job instruction I could have had. I realized I'd discovered my niche.” Dagen-mcdowell2 McDowell went on to write for SmartMoney magazine and SmartMoney.com after gaining expertise and enthusiasm in the field. She also published a popular personal finance blog for TheStreet.com called "Dear Dagen," which paved the way for her profession in broadcast journalism. “In 2001, while I was at TheStreet.com, FOX News Channel requested me to appear as a guest on the show ‘Cashin' In.' Then, in 2003, Neil Cavuto invited me to be a frequent guest on his show, 'Your World with Neil Cavuto,'” McDowell remembers. “These frequent guest parts helped me to learn about television while also getting to know the FOX producers.” As a consequence, in 2003, McDowell became a full-time business reporter for FNC. Since September 2007, she has been an anchor for the much-anticipated FOX Business Network. McDowell and her husband, MAXfunds.com co-founder Jonas Max Ferris, live in a New York City apartment and a home in Connecticut. McDowell retains close links to her Southern origins, visiting her parents—who still reside in the small town of Brookneal, Va.—at least twice a year, despite having lived in New York for 14 years. Her Southern background, as well as her accent, are sources of pride for her. But even this born-and-bred Southerner recognizes that living in New York has its advantages. She says, “I love that you can accomplish anything at any time of day or night.” “Have a midnight craving for warm bagels? They're available right now!” McDowell discusses her fast-paced existence as a successful, high-profile television business anchor and correspondent in her interview with Southern Beauty. She also discusses how her Southern upbringing has influenced her journalistic sensibilities.

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