New columnist at Marketwatch.com

Jon Markman, who recently had been writing a column for MSN Money, will now write a weekly column for Marketwatch.com on the global equity and credit markets.

“Speculation is one of the most important but misunderstood forces in capital markets,” said Markman in a statement. “My column will explain who is taking the biggest risks to create value, who is betting against them, and how private investors can participate intelligently in the contest.”

Markman previously served as a managing editor and columnist at CNBC on MSN Money from 1997 to 2002, and as an editor, investments columnist and investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times from 1984 to 1997. He was portfolio manager and senior investment strategist for a quantitative hedge fund from 2002 to 2005.

In addition to Markman’s “Speculations” column, MarketWatch.com recently debuted several new columns highlighting news and analysis on a range of topics including:

• This Week in Latin America – A weekly column by former MarketWatch journalist and investment author Mike Molinski, focusing on investment opportunities in Latin America;
• Forex Files – A weekly currency column by MarketWatch’s European political and economic correspondent Bill Watts, in London;
• Market Medic – A three times a week column by MarketWatch senior markets correspondent Nick Godt, in New York;
• Fund Mastery – A new blog by Kurt Brouwer, a San Francisco-based mutual fund advisor;
• Market Junkie – A new blog by the MarketWatch markets team with market-moving news and speculations around the clock;
• Your Portfolio – A new column by MarketWatch retirement columnist Bob Powell in Boston, focusing on ways to structure your portfolio to handle different periods of your life, from college savings to retirement.

Read more here.